French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie announced Thursday that five Puma helicopters and another navy frigate would be sent early next week to reinforce French military means to help the relief effort in south Asia.
France has already sent two ships, the helicopter-carrier Jeanne d'Arc and the frigate Georges Leygues, for relief mission in the Indian Ocean.
The Jeanne d'Arc will carry 4 light helicopters and 2 Puma transport helicopters and some 60 engineers, as well as 6,000 food rations, 800 tons of water and water treatment equipment, 5 tons of medicine and field medical posts, according to colonel Gerard Dubois of French staff.
The two navy ships setting off Tuesday are expected to arrive on Jan. 10 with 700 persons on board.
"Madame Alliot-Marie decided to reinforce the air mobility means by sending five more Puma helicopters at the beginning of next week and increase the navy means by sending the frigate Duplex, also equipped with an helicopter off the Maldives and Sri Lanka," the spokesman said.
In addition a coastguard plane is helping to find bodies off the Thai coast.