The United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group, representing some of the most cutting-edge military equipment – including F-35 jets – will be participating in the annual bilateral KONKAN exercise with India next month.
Carrier Strike Group 21, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth – the largest and most powerful warship ever constructed for the Royal Navy, with 40 aircraft on board – is currently engaged in operations in the Mediterranean to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The ship, which carries 18 UK and US F-35 Lightning jets, is participating in support of 'Operation Shader' and US Operation 'Inherent Resolve' before setting course for the South China Sea during its 28-week deployment.
"To date we have delivered diplomatic influence on behalf of the UK through a series of exercises and engagements with our partners – now we are ready to deliver the hard punch of maritime-based air power against a shared enemy," said Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, while adding that HMS Queen Elizabeth's first missions against Daesh will be remembered as a significant moment in the 50-year lifespan of the ship.
Analysts point out that the latest deployment of Queen Elizabeth substantiates Britain's strategic shift towards the Indo-Pacific, in tune with the growing economic heft of the region, and the rising threat from China. France and the European Union are also beginning to realise the center of gravity of the global economy and the Pacific is moving away from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific region linked by the Malacca Straits.
Float ✅ 🌊
Fly ✅ ✈#lightning strikes again pic.twitter.com/PDI6FzaT41— HMS Queen Elizabeth🇬🇧 (@HMSQNLZ) May 3, 2021
While the dates of the KONKAN exercise are still being finalised, the Hindustan Times reported today that the Carrier Group will war game around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with Indian destroyers, submarines, P8I anti-submarine warfare planes and MiG-29 K fighters.
"While on its way back to the UK via Suez Canal, the Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group will be involved in a tri-service exercise with the Indian armed forces in October off the coast of Goa in the Arabian Sea. All three elements of the Indian military including amphibious forces will be involved in a three-day exercise with the UK's warship and its support elements. The exercise will be conducted in all three domains with the aircraft carrier paying port calls at Mumbai and Karwar, which will be the seat of India’s first maritime theatre command," the newspaper reported on Monday.
The KONKAN series of exercises commenced in 2004, and since then has grown in scale. The naval cooperation between India and the United Kingdom is based on the long term strategic relationship between both countries. Both Navies have, over the years, undertaken bilateral activities such as training exchanges and technical cooperation.
The regular Indian Navy-Royal Navy interaction over the years has resulted in an increase in the professional content of the bilateral exercise which is aimed at deriving mutual benefit from each others' experiences and is indicative of the continuing cooperation between the two countries. The inter-operability achieved over the years as a result of such exercises has proved to be operationally beneficial to both navies. The naval cooperation is a tangible symbol of the commitment of both nations in ensuring a positive climate at sea for enhancing strategic stability and promoting economic prosperity.
India had last week participated in a two-day high intensity Passage Exercise with the US Navy Carrier Strike Group Ronald Reagan during its transit through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to deepen strategic ties, anchored by a common interest in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
