Exercise Konkan

Context

On October 5, the bilateral exercise "Konkan-2025" between the Indian Navy and the British Royal Navy commenced off the west coast of India. The biennial exercise, Konkan, was first held in 2004.

About Konkan-2025

• This exercise reaffirms the commitment of both countries to secure, open, and inclusive seas and exemplifies the strategic partnership enshrined in the India-UK Vision 2035.
• The exercise is being conducted in two phases from October 5 to 12, 2025. The harbor phase will include professional interactions between naval personnel, cross-deck visits, sports events, and cultural exchanges.
• Joint working group meetings and discussions among subject matter experts are also scheduled. The sea phase will include complex maritime operational exercises focused on air, surface, and anti-submarine warfare, flight operations, and other naval skills development.

Key Points of the Exercise

• The British Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by the United Kingdom's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, commenced a four-day maritime exercise, "Konkan," with the Indian Navy in the Western Indian Ocean.
• This is the first-ever joint exercise involving the two countries' flagship aircraft carriers, Britain's HMS Prince of Wales and India's INS Vikrant.
• The British CSG is currently on an eight-month global deployment under Operation Highmast and is engaged in complex multi-domain operations with the Indian Navy's carrier task force, including anti-submarine warfare, cross-deck flight operations, and air defense exercises.
• Operation Highmast is a multinational deployment under the UK CSG that allows the UK Armed Forces to conduct a major global deployment. It also provides the capability to conduct complex operations with partners and allies in the region, supported by ships and personnel from 12 other countries.

Other India-UK Joint Military Exercises

• Army's Ajeya Warrior: The Army's flagship bilateral exercise, 'Ajeya Warrior,' focuses specifically on counter-terrorism operations. Soldiers practice joint operations in complex scenarios in semi-urban and urban environments.
• Air Force's Indradhanush: Exercise Indradhanush between the Indian and UK Air Forces focuses on air defense and offensive missions. The aim of 'Indradhanush' is to help pilots from both air forces understand each other's operational environment, logistics, and tactical performance, enabling them to operate seamlessly in the event of any air support requirement.