French Warship Vendemiaire Ready To Take Part In MNEK Training In Bali

French warships from the Vendemiaire frigate docked in the waters of Tanjung Benoa, Bali, Saturday (15/2/2025) to participate in the 2025 Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) Multilateral.

DENPASAR - French warships of the Vendemiaire type with Falcon 200 from the French Joint Armed Forces in New Caledonia docked in the waters of Tanjung Benoa, Bali preparing to take part in the 2025 Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) event.

French Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN Fabien Penone when met in Denpasar, Saturday said the involvement of the country France, as residents of the Indo-Pacific in the joint exercise, showed commitment to regional stability, freedom of navigation, and maritime security.

He also said the exercise was important as a form of increasing operational readiness in facing joint maritime challenges.

"We are an Indo-Pacific country and have close cooperation with Indonesia. So, it is important for us to train, cooperate with our partners in this area, and face various maritime threats, such as maritime security, illegal fishing, and disaster management," he said.

He explained that apart from strengthening regional cooperation, France and Indonesia have bilateral cooperation.

In addition to joint operations in the 2025 MNEK, Indonesia has also taken part in the La Perouse 25 exercise initiated by the French Navy.

Fabien said France and Indonesia share a common vision regarding strengthening maritime security and collective humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Moreover, he said, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, when he was Minister of Defense, had established close cooperation with France.

"Long-term cooperation with President Prabowo Subianto began when he became Minister of Defense. So, we are very happy with this partnership and are now deepening this cooperation step by step by step with dialogue in a convincing way," he said.

Vendemiaire is a Floreal-class frigate, headquartered in Noumea, owned by the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia dedicated to various missions, including sovereignty missions in France's exclusive economic zone, humanitarian assistance, and cooperation.

Meanwhile, the Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces in Asia-Pacific (ALPACI) Rear Admiral Guillaume Pinget said the presence of the Vendemiaire frigate in this exercise underscores France's commitment to Indo-Pacific security.

He said the ship was ready to take part in the joint exercise.

"Today, I had the opportunity to visit the Vendemiaire frigate which will participate in the Komodo 2025 exercise. This ship is almost ready for parade tomorrow," Pinget said.

In addition to the Vendemiaire frigate, France will also deploy a Falcon 200 Guardian maritime reconnaissance aircraft in this exercise. The maritime reconnaissance aircraft will arrive next week as part of the exercise.

Pinget also emphasized France's participation in the 2025 MNEK not only focuses on maritime security, but also includes global issues such as climate change and humanitarian aid.

France is committed to facing various challenges in the region, including the impact of climate change on people in the South Pacific, as well as readiness in humanitarian aid operations and disaster response.

In addition, France is also active in fighting illegal activities at sea, such as illegal fishing and narcotics smuggling.

" Maritime security is our priority. We are working with partner countries to deal with threats such as illegal fishing and narcotics trafficking in Indo-Pacific waters," Pinget said.