Paris, France: Bare-chested Maori soldiers joined more than 3,000 other troops and dozens of helicopters and fighters roared overhead as France honoured Australia and New Zealand in its Bastille Day parade in Paris on Thursday.

The sight of six barefoot Maori soldiers in traditional dress with their faces painted brought an exotic touch to the annual parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue.

They were part of an 85-strong contingent from New Zealand who marched alongside 140 Australian soldiers to mark their countries’ role in the World War I Battle of the Somme, a century ago.

President Francois Hollande arrived in an open-top jeep surrounded by the Republican Guard on horseback to join US Secretary of State John Kerry, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in the presidential stand.

Jets from the Patrouille de France air display team blasted overhead, flying in the shape of the Eiffel Tower to support Paris’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games as they trailed red, white and blue smoke behind them.

They spearheaded more than 70 jets and helicopters in the skies above the French capital.

The pomp and splendour of the parade places the spotlight on the French military, which is involved today on more fronts than at any time in the last half-century.

Aircraft carrier re-deployed -

On the eve of the parade, Hollande said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier will return to the Middle East ‘in the autumn’ to support Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Iraqi forces are attempting to re-take the Iraqi city of Mosul from IS forces.

It will be the third time since the beginning of 2015 that the French carrier has been used to launch airstrikes against IS targets.

Hollande dispatched the carrier to the region in November following the terror attacks on Paris which killed 130 people. Islamic State claimed responsibility.

‘We will intensify the army’s efforts to support the Iraqis as they try to recapture Mosul,’ he said.

Hollande also announced on Wednesday that France would end its military mission in the strife-torn Central African Republic in October.

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will go the country in October to officially declare the end of Operation Sangaris, which was launched in December 2013 in a bid to quell violence between Christian and Muslim militias that left thousands dead and drove half a million people from their homes.

And with Britain set to leave the European Union (EU), Hollande said France would announce a proposal to strengthen European defence policy.

‘I note that our German friends are also prepared to be involved. We will therefore be able to launch this initiative together,’ Hollande said.

His announcement came after Germany’s defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU should take advantage of Britain’s vote to leave the bloc to forge a common security policy.

London had long ‘paralysed’ European efforts to have a more closely integrated security policy, Von der Leyen said as she presented Germany’s first big-picture defence paper in a decade, pledging Berlin’s willingness to play a greater role in the world.