A contingent from the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF) left Seychelles on Monday April 15, 2019 on board Seychelles Coast Guard Ship (SCGS) TOPAZ to participate in exercise VARATRAZA 2019. This Joint Exercises will take place in Diego Suarez and Tamatave, between 15 and 23 April 2019. It is being spearheaded by the French forces, ‘Forces Armees Dans La Zone Sud de l’Ocean Indien’ (FAZSOI), and will see the participation of land, naval and air forces from Indian Ocean States of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.
SPDF will participate in the exercise with 46 local officers and servicemen, represented by PS TOPAZ from the Coast Guard, a detachment from the Special Forces Unit, 03 staff officers and one Dornier 228k aircraft from Seychelles Air Force. The Dornier aircraft will leave Seychelles for the exercise on Friday 19 April 2019.
The exercise theme and scenario revolves around stabilization operation, aimed at entering in a foreign country to stabilize it.