NEW DELHI: Amidst the rising defence interactions with India, the United Kingdom on Wedensday decided to send its warships for a Maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean.
Plans include sending "UK’s high-readiness Littoral Response Group to the Indian Ocean region in 2024 and the Carrier Strike Group in 2025 for joint training. Both will visit and operate with Indian forces."
The British High Commission in the statement said here, "Deployment of the UK’s most advanced naval capabilities mark a decisive step in bolstering UK-India security ties."
The decision of deployment was intimated at the time Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was in UK.
The Defence Secretary Grant Shapps announced the UK’s plans to send its Littoral Response Group to Indian Ocean Region later this year, with plans for the Carrier Strike Group to visit in 2025 both will operate and train with Indian forces, BHC added.
The UK and India, on last day of his visit, vowed to continue strengthening ties during the first visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the UK in more than 20 years." British High Commission (BHC) in New Delhi said.
The two nations also discussed future cooperation in defence from joint exercises to knowledge sharing and instructor exchanges.
These steps build on the comprehensive strategic partnership envisaged in the 2030 India-UK roadmap, announced in 2021.
Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, said, “There is no question that the world is becoming increasingly contested, so it’s vital that we continue to build on our strategic relationships with key partners like India. Together we share the same security challenges and are steadfast in our commitment to maintaining a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
“It is clear that this relationship is going from strength to strength, but we must continue to work hand-in-hand to uphold global security in light of threats and challenges that seek to destabilise and damage us.”
In the coming years, the UK and India will also embark on more complex exercises between their respective militaries, building up to a landmark joint exercise to be conducted before the end of 2030, supporting shared goals of protecting critical trade routes and upholding the international rules-based system.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was accompanied by a high-level Ministry of Defence delegation, comprising senior officials from DRDO, Service Headquarters, Department of Defence, and Department of Defence Production.
Building on the existing strategic partnership, during the visit the UK and India also confirmed several new joint initiatives. These include:
Enumerating the various agreements finalised during Rajnath's UK Visit, "A commitment to several instructor exchanges between our world-leading Officer Training Colleges and specialist schools, alongside signing of a Youth Exchange MOU to solidify the already strong relationship between our cadet organisations.", BHC said.
"Signing a Letter of Arrangement that will enable further emphasis to be placed on research and development between our two nations, focused on next-generation capabilities."
The release also mentioned the Logisitcs agreement between the two countries, which allows for mutual use of the airbase and ports for administrative and repair purposes, hinting at strengthen it further.
BHC added, "Solidifying an agreement on logistics exchange, allowing for the provision of logistic support, supplies and services between the United Kingdom and Indian Armed Forces, for joint training, joint exercises, authorised port visits and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations."