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Deeper Indo-French space collaboration comes as Indian and French Navy prepare to be part of complex Gulf exercises
A decades-old strategic bond created on earth is getting a fresh new boost in space.
India and France announced over the weekend they are working on their third joint satellite mission, with many French companies keen to tap into opportunities thrown up by the government’s recent reforms in the space sector.
The move comes as bilateral space collaboration between India and France enters vast new domains, including human spaceflight programme, said ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan.
“France is the biggest partner of India in space,” Dr Sivan said at the Department of Science and Technology’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The deeper engagement between India and France in space collaboration comes even as the Indian Navy, its partners in the QUAD, along with France and the UAE prepare to be part of complex interoperability exercises involving carrier strike groups, anti-submarine warfare aircraft and attack submarines next month.
Earlier missions
According to ISRO officials, the Indian space agency has worked with its French counterpart CNES (Centre National dEtudes Spatiales) to undertake two joint missions 'Megha-Tropiques', which was launched in 2011, and 'Saral-Altika' in 2013. "Currently, we are working for the third mission,” said Dr Sivan, who is also Secretary in the Department of Space.
The deeper engagement between India and France in space collaboration comes even as the Indian Navy, its partners in the QUAD, along with France and the UAE prepare to be part of complex interoperability exercises involving carrier strike groups, anti-submarine warfare aircraft and attack submarines next month – a move aimed at projecting their dominance from the Gulf to the Malacca Straits. India and France will thus find their navies collaborating in the trilateral naval exercise in the strategically important Gulf and the Gulf of Oman under the Varuna banner, scheduled between April 25 and 27.
Naval strength
India, the US, Australia, and Japan (the members of QUAD), along with France, will also showcase their naval strength and commitment to freedom of navigation in the Bay of Bengal from April 4 to 7 with missile-guided destroyers, frigates, submarines and surveillance aircraft practising complex manoeuvres under the La Perouse banner.
The defence collaboration is seen as strengthening overall bilateral relations between the two nations, and will of course have a positive impact on areas such as space science.
Officials said ISRO and CNES have completed the feasibility study to realise the earth observation satellite mission with thermal infrared imager, TRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High resolution Natural resource Assessment) and are working towards finalising an implementing arrangement for the joint development.Dr Sivan said India is also working with France on joint experiments and accommodation of scientific instruments in space missions. "Indo-French space collaboration is expanding into multiple domains including space exploration and human space flight programme," he said.
With the recent reforms initiated by the Indian government, the Indo-French space cooperation is expected to grow further involving industries, academia and research institutes – thereby not only strengthening space cooperation at government-to-government level but unlocking more opportunities for industry-to-industry interaction and projects.
With the recent reforms initiated by the Indian government, the Indo-French space cooperation is expected to grow further involving industries, academia and research institutes – thereby not only strengthening space cooperation at government-to-government level but unlocking more opportunities for industry-to-industry interaction and projects.
Dr Sivan said India is also working with France on joint experiments and accommodation of scientific instruments in space missions. "Indo-French space collaboration is expanding into multiple domains including space exploration and human space flight programme," he said.
With the recent reforms initiated by the Indian government, the Indo-French space cooperation is expected to grow further involving industries, academia and research institutes – thereby not only strengthening space cooperation at government-to-government level but unlocking more opportunities for industry-to-industry interaction and projects.