Annual Bilateral Maritime Exercise Konkan 2023 Held

‘Konkan 2023’, the annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and Royal Navy was held from 20 to 22 March 2023 off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.

INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type-23 guided missile frigate, participated in this edition and undertook multiple maritime drills to enhance interoperability and imbibe best practices.

The exercises covered all domains of maritime operations including air, surface and sub-surface. They also included gunnery shoots on surface inflatable target ‘Killer Tomato’, helicopter operations, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare drills, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), ship manoeuvres and exchange of personnel.

The Indian Navy stated in a press release that high level of professionalism and enthusiasm were also evident during the conduct of Konkan 2023. “The exercise yielded excellent training value to personnel of both the navies,” it stated. It added that the focus on op-readiness, enhancing interoperability and improving the ability to conduct joint operations would go a long way in bolstering the combined efforts of the IN and RN to strengthen maritime security and uphold a rules-based order in the region.