The fifth Konkan joint exercise will be held from June 17 between the Indian Navy and the British Royal Navy. The Portsmouth exercise aims to build maritime inter-operability and foster mutual understanding.
The Indian side will be led by destroyer INS Delhi, comprising frigates INS Beas, INS Brahmaputra and a tanker INS Aditya.
Frigates HMS Westminster and HMS Lancaster, the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Trafalgar, the auxiliaries RFA Mounts Bay and RFA Fort Rosalie and an RAF Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft will participate from the UK side.
Exercise Konkan is an annual event between the two navies, four such exercises having been conducted since 2004.
Explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) training with the Plymouth-based southern diving group will also be conducted by an Indian Navy divers’ team.
They navies will focus on anti-submarine warfare as well and practice anti-air and anti-surface skills, including specialist boarding operations.
