India UK Joint Carrier Strike Group Drill Exercise Konkan 2025

• Event: Exercise Konkan 2025
• Date: 5–9 October 2025
• Location: On the west coast of India.

Key First

• Combined Carrier Strike Group (CSG) was the first ever exercise between the UK and India.

Major Naval Assets

• India: INS Vikrant (Domestic aircraft carrier).
• UK: Prince of Wales (65,000-ton Queen Elizabeth-class carrier)
• UK Frigate: HMS Richmond (sailed on to Mumbai Port)

International Participation

• Norway and Japanese allies came aboard, demonstrating multilateral cooperation on the sea.

Exercise Focus

• Air operations of carriers.
• Anti-submarine warfare
• Fleet defence
• Coordinated surveillance
• Maritime interdiction

Background

• Exercise Konkan -Biennial India-UK naval exercise, initiated in 2004.
• Intended to increase the interoperability, defence diplomacy and the blue-water capabilities.

Significance

• Enhances the strategic positioning of India and the UK on the Indo-Pacific region.
• Shows high level of joint operational and maritime interdependence.