‘Historic First’: What Is Konkan 2025, India-UK Maritime Exercise Underway In Indian Ocean?

Last Updated:October 07, 2025, 19:49 IST

The UK defence adviser said the ongoing military exercise is aimed at enhancing the combined maritime and air capabilities of the British and Indian navies in the high seas

The UK Carrier Strike Group and Indian Navy are conducting a joint military exercise in the Indian Ocean. (Image: @DefenceOps/X)

Indian and British carrier strike groups have linked up for the first time in history for a maritime military exercise in the Indian Ocean, called ‘Konkan 2025’.

On Tuesday, the UK defence adviser in India shared news about the ongoing military exercise in the Indian Ocean and said it is aimed at enhancing the combined maritime and air capabilities of the UK and Indian navies in the high seas.

“A historic first! with the UK and the Indian carrier strike groups linking up. Exercise Konkan is aimed at increasing combined maritime and air capabilities between the UK and Indian navies on the high seas,” said UK Defence in India on X.

Calling it a week-long bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy, on October 5, India said ‘Konkan 2025’ has commenced off the western coast of India.

“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,” a spokesperson for the Indian Navy said. 

Here’s all you need to know:

1. Exercise Konkan is the biennial, bilateral maritime exercise conducted by the UK and India. The CSG conducted maritime exercise with the Indian Navy in June after entering the Indo-Pacific. This included a Combined Anti-Submarine Exercise (CASEX) involving the UK CSG and Indian Navy’s INS TABAR, a P8-I Neptune aircraft and an Indian submarine.
2. According to the Indian Navy, Exercise Konkan is being conducted in two phases from October 5 to 12 – the harbour and sea phases.
3. The harbour phase of the exercise will include professional interactions between naval personnel, cross deck visits, sports fixtures, and cultural engagements. Additionally, joint working group meetings and subject matter expert exchanges are also scheduled.
4. The sea phase will encompass complex maritime operational drills focusing on anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine exercises, flying operations and other seamanship evolutions.
5. Both the navies will deploy frontline assets, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, and integral and shore-based air assets.
6. The UK Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG 25) is being led by HMS Prince of Wales, including assets from Norway and Japan.
7. The Indian side is being represented by the carrier battle group of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in company with other surface, sub-surface and air combatants.
8. On the conclusion of the exercise with the Indian Navy on October 12, the UK CSG is scheduled to take part in a one-day exercise with the Indian Air Force off the western coast on October 14.
9. As per the defence adviser of the UK Embassy in India, after the exercise, the UK CSG will visit Mumbai and Goa as part of port visits.
10. The exercise marks a shared commitment to ensuring secure, open and free seas and exemplifies the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlined in ‘India-UK Vision 2035’.

WHAT IS THE UK CARRIER STRIKE GROUP?

The UK Carrier Strike Group of the Royal Navy is currently on an eight-month deployment known as ‘Operation Highmast’.

It is formed around HMS Prince of Wales, which is a 65,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier and the largest surface vessel ever constructed in the UK. It is supported by a Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, a Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Support Ships and ships of allies and partners. It operates F-35B Lightning aircraft, and Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, as standard.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, highlighted in her remarks how India and the UK believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific and an ambition for a modern defence and security partnership, which is a fundamental pillar of UK-India Vision 2035, agreed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer earlier this year.

“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”, Cameron said.

Commodore Chris Saunders MBE Royal Navy, defence adviser, British High Commission, underscored how Exercise Konkan provides an excellent opportunity for the British 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. This exercise provides another opportunity, a first with both carriers, for two maritime powers to enhance combined capability operating and share best practice. The UK is also proud to co-lead the Maritime Security Pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative,” Commodore Saunders said.

Commodore James Blackmore, who is the commander of the UK CSG, said: “It’s fantastic to work again with the Indian Navy during Exercise Konkan to develop our combined operational capabilities. We’ve been collaborating to expand our defence capability, in support of the rules-based international system in the Indo-Pacific.”

Earlier in 2021, India and the UK conducted the first and biggest bilateral tri-service exercise ‘Konkan Shakti’, which involved all three forces from both the countries, including the UK CSG.

(With ANI inputs)

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