To become a "resident power" in the Asia Pacific region? France sends warships to the Philippines | Lorraine | France
According to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong on July 8th, last week, the French Navy frigate "Lorraine" docked at a port in the Philippines after leaving Japan. This journey is part of the ship's long-term deployment to the Asia Pacific region. The visit of the "Lorraine" to Manila coincides with the visit of Rear Admiral Joffrey Dangdini, the joint commander of the French Armed Forces stationed in the Asia Pacific region, to the Philippines.
According to the report, this indicates that France hopes to play a greater role as a "resident power" in the Asia Pacific region and is increasingly valuing the "maritime challenges" in the region. As countries in the Asia Pacific region increase their military spending and diversify their partners to cope with the evolving security landscape in the region, Paris is positioning itself as a reliable defense partner.
According to reports, the "Lorraine" is one of the latest French naval vessels, which only began service last year.
According to reports, from late April to early May this year, France held the "Southern Cross" exercise in its overseas territory of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. This is one of the largest conventional humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercises in the region, involving 19 countries this year, including France, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga.
According to reports, France has a huge stake in the Indian Ocean Pacific region and is also the European country with the strongest ability to deploy power in the region. It has bases in the United Arab Emirates and Djibouti, overseas territories in Reunion Island, Mayotte, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia, with 8000 soldiers and 1.65 million French citizens in the region. France has the second largest exclusive economic zone in the world, with an area of 10.2 million square kilometers, of which 93% is located in the Indian Ocean Pacific region.
According to reports, France announced its Indian Ocean Pacific strategy in 2019. In the future, it is likely to increase deployment and allocate more resources to the region. It can participate more in small-scale exercises to enhance combat readiness and meet various regional security needs.
The report suggests that the increasingly complex security environment provides opportunities for the French military industry. France can become another weapon supplier for countries in the region to enhance their military capabilities. For example, Paris is nearing an agreement to provide "Scorpae" class submarines to Indonesia and the Philippines, providing the same submarines to navies of other Indian Ocean Pacific countries such as India and Malaysia.