The United Kingdom plans to send its high-readiness Littoral Response Group to the Indian Ocean region in 2024 and the Carrier Strike Group in 2025 for joint training. Both groups will visit and operate with Indian forces.

The deployment of the UK’s most advanced naval capabilities will mark a decisive step in bolstering UK-India security ties, the British High Commission announced on Wednesday.

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The India-UK defence partnership is being stepped up as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made his two-day visit to the UK. This was the first visit of an Indian defence minister to the UK in more than 20 years.

In a move that signals the growing importance of the strategic relationship between the UK and India, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps welcomed Singh to the UK to agree to unprecedented levels of UK-India defence cooperation.

The defence secretary made the announcement of the two naval groups’ visit to the Indian Ocean.

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.

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 Secretary Grant Shapps said, “There is absolutely no question that the world is becoming increasingly contested so it is 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 on our commitment to maintaining a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

He said, “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.”

Collaboration with industry is also key in the strategic defence partnership between the UK and India, with the two nations working together on electric propulsion systems that will power future fleets, and cooperating on the development of complex weapons.

Building on the existing strategic partnership during the visit, the UK and India also confirmed several new joint initiatives. These include launching Defence Partnership-India, a bespoke office designed to further defence collaboration between the two countries.
Besides, there is commitment to several instructor exchanges between the two countries’ world-leading Officer Training Colleges and specialist schools, alongside signing of a Youth Exchange MoU to solidify the already strong relationship between cadet organisations.
There is also signing of a Letter of Arrangement that will enable further emphasis to be placed on research and development between the two nations, focused on next-generation capabilities.
Another joint initiative will be “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.”