Exercise Orion

Exercise Orion is a multinational exercise hosted by the French government.
It is reportedly the largest-ever multinational exercise being carried out by the French defence forces which have involved their Army, Navy and Air Force.
It includes ground troops, warships, aircraft carriers and combat aircraft.
It is meant to boost military cooperation and interoperability among participating nations.
Besides the IAF and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. would also be flying in this multilateral exercise.

India’s Participation

The IAF contingent will include
- Four Rafale aircraft,
- Two C-17,
- Two IL-78 aircraft and
- 165 air warriors.
This would be the first overseas exercise for the IAF’s Rafale aircraft.

The exercise highlights the growing importance of India in the international arena and its close ties with key allies such as France.
The participation of Indian Rafales in multinational wargames helps in improving their capabilities and also in enhancing the interoperability of Indian forces with their foreign counterparts.
Participation in this exercise would further enrich the employment philosophy of the Indian Air Force, by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces.

Indian Rafale combat aircraft are set to participate in a multinational wargame codenamed Orion, which is being hosted by France at Mont-de-Marsan, an Air Force base of the French Air and Space Force (FASF).