The Indian Army contingent on Tuesday departed to participate in the eighth edition of the biennial India-French joint military exercise SHAKTI, an official communique said. The exercise will be conducted at Camp Larzac, La Cavalerie in France from June 18 to July 1, 2025.

“The Indian contingent comprising of 90 personnel is being represented primarily by a Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles besides personnel from other arms and services. The French contingent comprising of 90 personnel will be represented by personnel from the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE),” the official document said.

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Exercise SHAKTI is a biennial training engagement between the Indian and French armies, aimed at enhancing interoperability, operational coordination, and military to military connect.

This edition will focus on joint operations in a sub-conventional environment under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, with training being conducted in semi-urban terrain, it added.

The exercise will provide a platform for both contingents to rehearse and refine tactical drills, share best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), train on new generation equipment (contemporary military technologies) and strengthen physical endurance. It will also foster esprit-de-corps, mutual respect and professional camaraderie between the two armies.

Exercise SHAKTI-VIII underscores the growing defence cooperation between India and France and will strengthen strategic ties between the two friendly nations, it added.