Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 16: In a major demonstration of growing defence cooperation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a joint aerial exercise with the UK Royal Navy over the Indian Ocean, showcasing enhanced interoperability and strategic coordination between the two nations.
The drill saw participation from the UK Royal Navy’s fifth-generation F-35B stealth fighter jets, based on the 65,000-tonne carrier HMS Prince of Wales, alongside India’s Sukhoi-30 MKI and Jaguar aircraft, both equipped for maritime operations. The IAF aircraft operated from land bases while executing complex manoeuvres alongside the carrier-based jets.
Posting pictures of the exercise, the IAF stated, “On 14 Oct, IAF’s Sukhoi-30 MKIs, Jaguars, AWACS & AEW&C aircraft joined Royal Navy F-35Bs from HMS Prince of Wales for a joint exercise over the Indian Ocean Region.” The exercise leveraged AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft, which play a pivotal role in detecting threats, coordinating operations, and acting as flying command-and-control centres.
The IAF highlighted that the drills strengthened “interoperability, mutual trust, and collective commitment to regional stability,” while enhancing the capacity of both forces to operate together effectively.
The UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, has been on an eight-month deployment under ‘Operation Highmast’ since April, underscoring the UK’s increasing strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific.
The joint exercise aligns with India-UK strategic initiatives, including the “India-UK 2030 Roadmap” and “India-UK Vision 2035,” which aim to deepen bilateral cooperation in defence and technology. The two countries recently signed a military training agreement allowing IAF flying instructors to serve as trainers with the Royal Air Force.
This exercise follows last week’s maritime drill, ‘Konkan-2025,’ involving carrier strike groups led by India’s INS Vikrant and the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales. That exercise included fighter jets and helicopters operating from carriers, warship and submarine maneuvers, and real-time situational awareness through surveillance planes and satellite feeds, with operations covering anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare.
The combined air and maritime drills highlight India and the UK’s commitment to regional security and their growing defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific.