The recent Indo-UK naval exercise, ‘Konkan 2021’, conducted between the Indian Navy’s INS Tabar and the UK’s HMS Westminster, has introduced a new chapter in the field of international naval collaborations. The event took place in the English Channel, which is situated between the southern coast of the Isle of Great Britain and the northern coast of France, separated from the North Sea on the north by the Strait of Dover.
Understanding the Bilateral Konkan Exercise
The Konkan exercise is a bilateral naval collaboration between the United Kingdom and India. Initiated in 2004, this series of exercises have observed a regular occurrence, hosted alternately by both navies. Over the years, these exercises have developed in terms of complexity, scale, and intensity.
The focus of these collaborations ranges from simple maneuvers to complex operational activities, reflecting the growing maturity, mutual confidence, and understanding between both nations’ navies. This bilateral operations and synergizing of training ideas further strengthens the interoperability and coordination between the two naval forces.
Other Indo-UK Exercises: Strengthening the Bond
Apart from maritime collaborations, the UK and India also engage in other kinds of military exercises. This includes ‘Exercise Indradhanush’, an air force exercise, and ‘Ajeya Warrior’, a joint military exercise between the two countries.
Such exercises are designed to enhance mutual capabilities and mechanically rehearse operating procedures during potential combat situations. The exposure derived from these joint exercises furthers the exchange of best practices and experiences amongst both militaries.
An Overview of INS Tabar
INS Tabar, commissioned in 2004 in Kaliningrad, Russia, is the third Talwar-class frigate serving in the Indian Navy. It is well-equipped to handle air or surface or subsurface missions and simultaneously defend itself.
This warship, along with others like INS Teg, Tarkash, Trikand, Talwar, and Trishul, constitutes the Talwar-class of frigates of the Indian Navy. Built in Russia under an Indo-Russian joint production, these guided missile frigates are modified versions of Russia’s Krivak III class frigates.
In 2016, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four Krivak or Talwar stealth frigates. The first two will be built in Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia, and the next two in the Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), India.
Major Indian Maritime Exercises
India consistently engages in various maritime exercises with different countries to enhance its naval capabilities and international relations. These include SLINEX with Sri Lanka, Bongosagar and IN-BN CORPAT with Bangladesh, JIMEX with Japan, Naseem-Al-Bahr with Oman, Indra with Russia, Za’ir-Al-Bahr with Qatar, Samudra Shakti with Indonesia, Indo-Thai CORPAT with Thailand, IMCOR with Malaysia, SIMBEX with Singapore, AUSINDEX with Australia, and the Malabar Exercise with Japan and the USA.
These exercises play a critical role in augmenting India’s maritime competencies, promoting a greater understanding between the participating navies, and fostering improved professional relationships. It further allows a chance to share advanced technology, tactics, techniques and procedures, thus contributing to the security and stability in maritime operations.