Konkan 2023, a joint maritime exercise, was conducted between the Royal Navy of Britain and the Indian Navy from the 20th of March to the 22nd, off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea. The joint drill by the two navies demonstrated operational readiness, enhancing interoperability and improving the ability to conduct joint operations. The exercise will go a long way in bolstering the combined efforts of the Indian Navy and Royal Navy to strengthen maritime security and uphold a rules-based order in the region.
INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 guided missile frigate, participated in this edition and undertook multiple maritime drills to enhance interoperability and imbibe best practices. The exercises covered all domains of maritime operations, air, surface, and subsurface.
India and UK agreed to significant new cooperation on Maritime Domain Awareness, which includes new agreements on maritime information sharing, an invitation to the UK to join India’s Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram. India considers the defence sector as one of the major areas where the bilateral partnership could be expanded around the Make in India campaign.
In maritime cooperation, the engagements between both countries are increasing. The UK will be deploying a Carrier Strike Group in the Indian Ocean region this year in line with its strategic tilt to Indo-Pacific.