Joint UK-India Carrier Strike Group Exercise Deepens Defence Ties and…

Sarah J · 2025-10-17T18:33:36.000Z

Britain’s strategic partnership with India advanced this week as the UK-led Carrier Strike Group (CSG25) concluded joint military drills with Indian Armed Forces, marking a successful visit to Mumbai and Goa as part of its eight‑month Indo‑Pacific deployment, Operation Highmast. The exercise, known as Konkan, brought together the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales and accompanying vessels with the Indian Navy’s carrier group led by INS Vikrant in the western Indian Ocean. Combined air operations with the Indian Air Force further enhanced interoperability and underscored the growing strategic alignment between the two nations. Operation Highmast reflects the UK’s wider defence ambitions, backed by a government commitment to lift defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027 under the Plan for Change. Ministers argue this strengthens national security while positioning defence as an engine for growth. Defence Minister Lord Vernon Coaker, visiting the deployment in South Asia, praised the scale and reach of the UK Armed Forces and highlighted the industrial benefits: “Alongside our leadership on global security, we have showcased leading‑edge defence innovation which strengthens our trading relationship with India and secures British jobs… defence is an engine for growth.” Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, described India as a “top priority partner,” citing the momentum revitalised by the two Prime Ministers. She framed the partnership within a shared vision for 2035 focused on growth, prosperity, and security amid rapid global change. The visit coincides with two significant defence-industrial milestones. First, a £350 million agreement will deliver UK‑manufactured Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) to the Indian Army. The contract is expected to secure over 700 jobs in Northern Ireland, where the same air defence missiles and launchers are currently produced for Ukraine. Second, the UK and India signed an Implementing Arrangement to advance collaboration on electric‑powered engines for naval ships, with an initial value of £250 million. Together, these deals aim to deepen military‑industrial cooperation, improve interoperability, and reinforce the UK’s position as a leading defence exporter. They also pave the way for a broader complex‑weapons partnership now under negotiation, following the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Mumbai. CSG25 now departs the Indo‑Pacific for the Mediterranean Sea to begin the final phase of its deployment, with a return to UK waters expected by year end. Across the operation, the Carrier Strike Group is intended to strengthen the UK’s global defence network and demonstrate an enduring presence in the Indo‑Pacific through sustained engagement and joint training. As the UK and India look toward 2035, the combination of high‑end exercises, industrial collaboration, and strategic commitments signals a partnership increasingly anchored in shared security interests and economic opportunity. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-uk-india-carrier-strike-group-exercise-deepens-defence-ties-as-deals-boost-uk-jobs

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Joint UK-India Carrier Strike Group Exercise Deepens Defence Ties and… | SEINET