Amid growing tensions in the Mozambique Channel and rising maritime traffic linked to Strait of Hormuz disruptions, France is reaffirming its military and strategic commitment in the Indian Ocean. Minister for Overseas Territories Catherine Vautrin recently confirmed the €4.3 billion envelope in the 2024-2030 Military Programming Law for the French Armed Forces in the South Indian Ocean Zone (FAZSOI), with La Réunion as its pivot.
La Réunion: military and economic hub of the Indo-Pacific arc
The PÉGASE 26 exercise — an airpower projection exercise organised from La Réunion — concretely illustrates the island's strategic role in France's Indian Ocean posture. La Réunion can host major air detachments and serve as a logistical platform for operations stretching from Madagascar to the Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius.
Madagascar: tech partnership and drones
Franco-Malagasy cooperation is intensifying on the technological front. France has transferred a first surveillance and reconnaissance drone to Madagascar, with associated training for Malagasy pilots. AerialMetric, a Franco-Malagasy company, designs and manufactures drones on Malagasy soil — a concrete illustration of the industrial co-development strategy in the Indian Ocean.
Mozambique Channel: the new priority zone
Maritime traffic in the Mozambique Channel has intensified since Red Sea tensions. FAZSOI monitors this strategic corridor that handles an increasing share of global trade. For Indian Ocean economic players, this security stabilisation is a prerequisite for regional investment attractiveness.
Why this matters
Behind the military dimension, it is the Indian Ocean economy at stake. French presence guarantees the security of commercial sea lanes, protects undersea communication cables and supports regional cooperation initiatives within the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). For businesses in La Réunion and the island arc, this strategic framework is a differentiating competitive asset.