India-UK joint exercise: 5th-gen fighters to debut over Arabian Sea

India’s military will, for the first time, be operating with a fifth-generation fighter — the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) F-35B Lightning II — as the army, navy and air force participate in the India-UK joint Exercise Konkan Shakti in the Arabian Sea that began on October 21.

The Chinese Navy’s growing aggression in the Western Pacific is bringing together a range of allies. In September, the US, UK and Australia announced an alliance called AUKUS. Last week, the Indian Navy participated in the four-nation Exercise Malabar. And now, from Sunday (October 24) till Wednesday, a British carrier strike group (CSG) centred on the aircraft carrier Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Queen Elizabeth is participating in the tri-service Exercise Konkan Shakti on its way home after a long deployment in the South China Sea.

Both sides are fielding the cream of their militaries. The RN will fly F-35B sorties from HMS Queen Elizabeth. Participating from the Indian Navy’s side will be its MiG-29K/KUB fighters, shipborne Sea King 42B, Kamov-31 and Chetak helicopters; and Dornier-228 and P-8I maritime patrol aircraft.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate with Jaguar and Sukhoi-30MKI maritime strike fighters, Phalcon airborne warning and control systems, airborne early warning and control aircraft and in-flight refuelling tankers.

The RN will also be fielding its Type 45 Daring-class destroyer, HMS Defender, which is amongst the most advanced air-defence ships in the world; its Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond; Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria; and a Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Evertsen.

The Indian Navy will be represented by three indigenous stealth destroyers: INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Chennai; two stealth frigates, INS Talwar and INS Teg; a submarine; and the fleet tanker, INS Aditya. 

The maritime component of the exercise, to be conducted off the west coast of India, is scheduled to be held in two phases. The harbour phase is under way in Mumbai from October 21-23. The sea phase will be conducted from Sunday onwards.

Meanwhile, the land phase of Exercise Konkan Shakti is being conducted between the Indian and British armies at Chaubatia, in Uttarakhand, from October 21-27. The British Army is being represented by officers and troops of the 1st Battalion of the Fusilier Regiment and the Indian Army is represented by troops from 1/11 Gorkha Rifles.

The joint company level exercise depicts a setting in which a coalition force is conducting Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) in an opposed environment.