French Naval Presence in the Indian Ocean

Le Capitaine de Frigate Alain Tual
Attaché de Defense, Ambassade de France

Paper presented at a conference on South Africa and International Naval Co-operation on 9 August at the Nassau Centre, Cape Town, jointly hosted by the Institute for Defence Policy and the South African Institute of International Affairs. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author.

Published in African Defence Review Issue No 19, 1994



INTRODUCTION

This brief paper provides some facts about the presence of France in the Indian Ocean. These features must be kept in mind to understand why France can and wants to play a measured role in this area and to be a worthy partner in the field of maritime co-operation, even if at a distance of some 9 000 km, from its metropolitan borders.

France is geographically present in the area in the Department of La Réunion, but also in six other groups, discussed below, some of which are inhabited islands, others only rock. But whatever the importance of these territories may be, they carry with them a wide exclusive economic zone.

One may also note the deployment of the French Forces all over the world, and particularly in the Indian Ocean region, at a strength of about 3 500 in La Réunion, Mayotte and Antarctica, and around 1 500 embarked on board the ships present in the Indian Ocean maritime zone. Why such a presence, particularly from the maritime point of view?

Two major factors account for the deployment of French Naval Forces in the Indian Ocean:

France has economic and political interests in the whole area.
  • The oil traffic, which follows two major routes flowing east and south bound from the Gulf, is of vital importance for the country's economy. Two thirds of the whole brent traffic pass in transit through the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Half of the world container ship traffic and one third of the bulk carrier traffic flows through the Indian Ocean.
  • As we have already seen, France is a state bordering on the South Indian Ocean through its overseas territories namely:

    *     the Department of La Réunion;
    *     the territorial community of Mayotte;
    *     the scattered Islands in the Mozambique Channel; and
    *     the French Austral and Antarctic Territories (TAAF).
  • Therefore, France has defence needs, sovereignty obligations and economic stakes in the contiguous Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). These cover 2 700 000 sq km, hence up to one fourth of the French economic zones throughout the world (remember that the Indian Ocean has 75 000 000 sq km of surface).
  • Thanks to the Department of La Réunion, France is a member of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), which is an organisation for regional co-operation including France, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Madagascar and the Comores.
France has ancient but lasting historical, cultural and defence ties in the whole area
  • We keep alive privileged relationships with the countries with whom we share a common history, language or culture.
  • France's international commitments with some of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean, are a good illustration of its involvement in the area: defence agreements with Djibouti and the Comores; military co-operation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Madagascar, Mauritius, etc.

DEPLOYMENT

As a result of these international commitments France maintains six permanently deployed ships, the hard core of the French Indian Ocean Naval Forces, in that area. These are:
  • a surveillance frigate in the southern zone;
  • a light frigate in the northern zone;
  • a fleet ocean patrol boat, operating in the economic zone of the French Austral and Antarctic Territories;
  • two support ships; and
  • a light transport and landing ship.
Some smaller ships on station are dedicated to local commitments (patrol boats of 400 tons in Djibouti and Mayotte, landing ship EDIC class in Djibouti).

Should the need arise, adapted complementary means may provide reinforcements: an aircraft carrier, mine sweepers, amphibious task group, submarines, etc. For the time being, the Toulon base permanently detaches a frigate, two light frigates, and an "Atlantic" maritime patrol aircraft.

In addition to these operational naval resources, two general purpose maintenance ships provide back-up.

MISSION


The roughly 15 ships of various importance which France maintains in the Indian Ocean have three main assignments:
  • to protect French interests in the Indian Ocean and especially the flow of national trade;
  • to participate in the defence of the French territories and operation bases of the French forces; and
  • to show the presence of France in the area and, if necessary, assist friendly neighbouring countries to which we are bound by defence agreements.

TASKS


The daily tasks of these French naval forces follow directly from the above mission statements:
  • keeping up a dissuasive action capacity in the Gulf area;
  • detaching a ship to the North Red Sea to participate in the embargo against Iraq, fifty percent of the time;
  • Visible patrolling of the main sea routes namely:

    *     the Suez-Singapore axis; and
    *     the Gulf-The Cape axis
  • controling the sea approaches to the French territories of the South Indian Ocean;
  • calling in at the neighbouring countries to show the presence of France, support our national interests and assert our regional involvement;
  • protecting and if necessary evacuating French and European nationals when danger threatens; and
  • assuming national responsibilities within French sovereignty zones such as sea rescue, environment protection, fishing zone surveillance.
Many of these daily tasks could be achieved within the framework of regional co-operation with other navies, particularly those tasks which need a wide exchange of information such as in the respect of the shipping situation and the control of the main sea routes, but also those tasks needing strong co-ordination, such as sea rescue, environment protection, fishing zone surveillance, etc.