India, UK launch eight-day mega naval exercise in Western Indian Ocean

The navies of India and the UK kick-started an eight-day mega wargame in the Western Indian Ocean in line with their focus to boost overall military ties.

The UK's Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, has been deployed for the Exercise Konkan.

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

The exercise is aimed at increasing combined maritime and air capabilities between the UK and Indian navies on the high seas.

"The UK and India believe in an Indo-Pacific that is free and open. We share an ambition for a modern defence and security partnership, a fundamental pillar of UK-India Vision 2035, agreed by our prime ministers this year," Lindy Cameron, the British High Commissioner to India, said.

"The engagements between the Carrier Strike Groups of our two navies demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order in the region and lay the groundwork for future cooperation," she said.

Commodore Chris Saunders, who is a defence adviser to the British High Commission, said: "Exercise Konkan provides an excellent opportunity for the Royal Navy to train in the delivery of complex multi-domain operations alongside India as partners in the Indo-Pacific region."  "The UK and India are two carrier operating countries, and the Royal Navy and Indian Navy are in a fairly exclusive club as blue-water, multi-carrier navies," he said.

Saunders said the exercise provides an opportunity for the two maritime powers to enhance combined capability and share best practice.

"The UK is also proud to co-lead the Maritime Security Pillar of India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative," he said.