Indian, UK naval aircraft carriers hold joint drills 

The Indian Navy and UK’s Royal Navy today kicked off a maritime exercise involving aircraft carriers.

Both navies would be fielding, what in Naval parlance is called the ‘carrier strike group’. This includes fighter jets and copters on deck of the aircraft carrier which is accompanied by other warships and submarines getting live situational feed from surveillance planes and satellites.

Called ‘exercise Konkan’, it will be conducted off the western sea board of India. The Indian Navy said the eight day (October 5-12) exercise will be conducted in two phases. The sea phase will encompass complex maritime operational drills focusing on anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and anti-submarine exercises, flying operations and other seamanship evolutions. Both participating nations will deploy frontline assets, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, and integral and shore based air assets.

The Indian side will be represented by the carrier battle group of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in company with other warships, submarines and aircraft. The UK Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG 25), is led by HMS Prince of Wales, including assets from Norway and Japan.

Over the past two decades, this exercise has grown significantly in scale and complexity, fostering enhanced interoperability and mutual understanding in maritime operations between the two navies, the Indian Navy said.

This exercise is a reaffirmation of the shared commitment to ensuring secure, open and free seas and will exemplify the comprehensive strategic partnership outlined in ‘India-UK Vision 2035’, the Navy said.

Exercise Konkan will serve as a platform to consolidate strategic ties, enhance interoperability and contribute to regional maritime stability.

The UK Navy’s fighter jets, on Oct 14, are to carry out a daylong exercise with the Indian Air Force off the western coast of India. The UK flotilla is on a eight-month deployment – started in April -- across Asia and Indo-Pacific as part of ’Operation Highmast’.