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Royal Navy begins high-profile India visit after two nations’ carrier groups link up for historic first
8 October 2025
For the first time Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales worked alongside India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant – curtain-raiser to a high-profile visit to the Commonwealth nation.
The British warship’s F-35 Lightning stealth fighters jousted in the skies of the Indian Ocean with Vikrant’s MiG 29K jets before lining up for a flypast and photoshoot.
The aerial activity was the highlight of the interaction between the two navies, Exercise Konkan, ahead of a visit to Mumbai and Goa by the ships of the UK Carrier Strike Group which begins today.
Konkan is a regular workout involving the two Commonwealth navies going back more than two decades, occasionally held in UK waters when Indian warships visit, more typically off the coast which gives the exercise its name when Royal Navy vessels are deployed to the Indian Ocean.
The two carrier groups worked side-by-side for four days. As well as fast-jet operations, the forces carried out a combined submarine hunt as an Indian Navy boat tried to evade detection – not just by warships and helicopters, such as the Merlin Mk2s embarked on HMS Prince of Wales and frigate HMS Richmond, but also P8 Neptune maritime patrol aircraft.
“Exercise Konkan was a valuable opportunity to operate with our Indian Navy partners. It’s been fantastic to work alongside my Indian opposite numbers to plan this complex exercise,” said Lieutenant Iain Reid, a staff officer aboard HMS Prince of Wales.
The Carrier Strike Group’s Commander Commodore James Blackmore added: “Exercise Konkan showed the increasing strength of our partnership with the Indian Navy.
“Training together not only deepens our cooperation, but also reflects the UK’s enduring commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
His force splits for the visit to India: the carrier will be spending several days in Goa, while the spotlight largely falls on Plymouth-based frigate HMS Richmond – the task group’s shield against hostile submarines – which is visiting Mumbai.
The frigate’s arrival coincided with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to the city to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to strengthen business and cultural ties between the two nations.
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.
A band from India’s Western Naval District and Guard of Honour led by Lieutenant Harshvardhan Sharma, plus military leaders and VIPs from both countries were waiting for Richmond on the quayside, the first act of a whirlwind few days which sees the ship hosting military demonstrations and showcasing UK industry.
“It’s really great to welcome HMS Richmond to Mumbai at this auspicious moment in UK-Indian relations with our two nations Prime Ministers meeting in the city nearby,” said Defence Attache Commodore Chris Saunders.
“As a former executive officer of Richmond, the ship has treasured memories for me.”
British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron underlined the importance of Anglo-Indian military cooperation to ensure regional security.
“The UK and India believe in an Indo-Pacific that is free and open,” she said.
“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.”
The ships of the Carrier Strike Group are on the return leg of their Operation Highmast deployment which has taken them as far east as Japan and Australia and most recently has seen the participants working off Malaysia and Singapore on a large-scale exercise to underline collective regional security in Southeast Asia.
Once the visit to India is completed, there will be a further workout for the UK carrier group as it takes part in an aerial defence exercise with the Indian Air Force, allowing both the forces to test their offensive and defensive tactics.