Article Posted on : - Jul 17, 2010

Indian Navy's INS Ganga guided missile frigate.

NEW DELHI (PTI): A French anti-aircraft warship that is docked in Goa will go out to the Arabian Sea for a Navy exercise with an Indian warship Saturday.

The French Destroyer, FNS Jean Bart, will exercise with INS Ganga, as part of regular and sustained Indo-French Naval interaction, a Navy press release said here Friday.

INS Ganga, a guided missile frigate, would carry out naval warfare manoeuvres such as defence against fast attack craft, air defence exercise, surface firing and cross embarkation of personnel with the French ship.

“FNS Jean Bart is a conventional warship and is capable of doing speeds up to 30 nautical miles. The Destroyer was built in Lorient Naval Dockyard in France and was commissioned in 1991,” the release said.

The Destroyer has a crew of about 250 personnel including 25 officers. It is armed with missiles and torpedoes and also carries a helicopter on board.

“The port visit and exercises will help in maintaining interoperability between the two navies, which have been conducting the Varuna series of bilateral naval exercises annually,” the release added.

The French warship has been in Goa from July 12 and after the exercise with the Indian ship, it would sail back to its country, it added.