After eight weeks of sustained military operations off the Arabian Gulf, which included launching air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) militants, Europe's biggest aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is now docked off Goa to participate in Indian-French naval exercise Varuna-13.
The nuclear-powered ship with its 2,000-odd strong crew is accompanied by other French vessels that were a part of the carrier strike group which played a critical role as part of Operation Chammal, a French military operation aimed at halting IS forces, by aerial bombarding and support to Iraqi troops.
"During our commitment to Operation Chammal, we contributed to the coalition (which included the US and France, which are fighting the IS) over 10 combat sorties every day, launched from the north of the Arabian Gulf," Rear Admiral Eric Chaperone, commander of the French Martime Force, told reporters aboard the INS Viraat off Vasco da Gama town, 45 km south of Panaji.
The French naval forces also provided "efficient air support to the Iraqi security forces and have collected highly valuable intelligence during air reconnaissance missions".
"These eight weeks of operations in the Gulf, which ended a few days ago, were intensive for the 2,600 sailors of the carrier strike group," he said, adding that in addition to the naval exercises as part of Varuna-13, the Goa port-of-call would also allow French sailors some recreation on land.