Nine Navies conduct joint drills in strategic Indian Ocean and Pacific straits.

• Nine Indo-Pacific countries, including India, are participating in La Perouse, a multilateral exercise hosted by France.

• The exercise is taking place in the strategic straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok, between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

• The Indian Navy, led by the French Carrier Strike Group, has deployed its guided-missile destroyer INS Mumbai.

• The exercise aims to strengthen maritime safety, develop interoperability, and collectively act in case of a maritime crisis.

• The exercise includes Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the U.K., and the U.S.

• All navies will train in the use of IORIS, a communication and coordination system, to effectively face maritime crises.