Germany has planned a "never before" military deployment to India to underline that its engagement in the Indo-Pacific is "serious and long lasting".
"So what we have planned this year, together with our Indian partners, is something that has never been there before the German Air Force. The German Air Force will send jets to India, but not on our own. We never go alone. We will do it with the French, Spanish and British," said Sebastian Fuchs, a spokesperson for the German embassy here.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will host the large-scale multi-nation military exercise in southern India in August. Germany will dispatch a significant contingent of military aircraft, including fighter jets, tankers and transport planes, for the exercise.
This will be followed by a visit by a German naval frigate and a combat support ship to Goa in October. This marks the second major naval deployment by Germany to India in recent years.
"We will have a frigate that is coming in October to the shores of Goa and there will also be a combat support ship," Fuchs said.
"This underlines our serious and long-lasting commitment to the Indo-Pacific, and our position as a reliable partner," he added.