Context
India and the United Kingdom have commenced the 2024 edition of Exercise Konkan, a four-day maritime engagement in the Western Indian Ocean. The exercise marks a milestone in the strategic partnership between the two nations, focusing on joint naval capability, air operations, and regional security cooperation.
Key Highlights
- Exercise Overview:
The Konkan-25 naval exercise began in the Western Indian Ocean, featuring complex sea operations between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy. - Historic Carrier Participation:
For the first time, both nations’ Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) are participating—India’s INS Vikrant and the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales—signifying the growing interoperability between two major Indo-Pacific maritime forces. - Operational Scope:
The exercise includes anti-submarine warfare, air defence drills, deck landing operations, and coordinated maritime surveillance, aimed at enhancing combined combat readiness. - Post-Exercise Diplomacy:
Following the sea phase, British warships will visit Mumbai and Goa, emphasizing people-to-people and naval diplomacy to showcase the expanding defence partnership.
Detailed Insights
- Origins and Evolution:
Exercise Konkan was initiated in 2004 as a biennial naval engagement between India and the UK. Over two decades, it has evolved from simple passage exercises into a comprehensive maritime collaboration involving surface, air, and subsurface warfare elements. - Global Strategic Context:
The UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by HMS Prince of Wales, is part of Operation Highmast, an eight-month global deployment across strategic waterways, reflecting London’s renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific tilt. - Multi-Domain Integration:
Beyond maritime warfare, the exercise integrates joint aerial defence operations with the Indian Air Force, enabling real-time coordination across domains—a critical component of modern naval warfare. - Strategic Objectives:
The engagement reinforces both nations’ commitment to:- Upholding a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
- Strengthening interoperability between naval assets and command structures.
- Enhancing readiness for multi-threat maritime environments, including submarine detection, drone warfare, and electronic surveillance.
Geopolitical Significance
- Maritime Security Architecture:
The exercise strengthens the Indo–UK role in maintaining freedom of navigation and maritime stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a vital trade and energy corridor. - Defence Diplomacy:
The participation of two aircraft carriers highlights technological and operational parity and symbolizes mutual trust under the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. - Quad & Beyond:
While the UK is not a member of the Quad, its increasing engagement in the IOR complements the India-led maritime security architecture and aligns with the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).