Kerala - Kochi   

French naval personnel to participate in fete

Staff Reporter

Defence Industries Day celebrations today

KOCHI: Personnel of FNS Mistral (an amphibious assault helicopter carrier of the French Navy), which called at Kochi on Saturday, will interact with personnel of the Indian Navy, Army and Air Force at the Defence Industries Day celebrations here on Tuesday.

Naval sources said that the ship arrived here from Djibouti. Built in 2004, the highly-automated vessel can carry landing-craft mediums, armoured vehicles, hovercrafts and helicopters. Sixteen officers and 160 sailors arrived here on board the vessel.

They are expected to showcase the capabilities of the vessel and make a presentation on how they carry out amphibious operations.

According to sources, this is the first time that this class of ship from the French Navy is calling at Kochi.

The 653-feet-long ship, commanded by Captain Frederic Jubelin, will leave for Djibouti on May 5.

The ship has been berthed at the Ernakulam Wharf of the Cochin Port Trust. Mistral is the latest of the four ships of the French Navy which bear the name. Though the vessel can carry a maximum of 900 soldiers, it generally carries 450 personnel.

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