UK to Deploy Warships to Indian Ocean as Symbol of Strong Strategic Partnership with India
GG News Bureau
London, 13th Jan. The UK government announced on Wednesday that it will send warships to the Indian Ocean region later this year to train and operate with Indian forces. This move signifies the growing importance of the strategic relationship between the UK and India.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated that the Littoral Response Group (LRG) will be deployed this year, followed by the Carrier Strike Group (CRG) in 2025 for joint training exercises.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) sees this deployment as a significant step in strengthening security ties between the two countries.
During his visit to the UK, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in the India-UK Defence Industry CEOs Roundtable and expressed his enthusiasm for a partnership that involves cooperation, co-creation, and co-innovation.
The MoD highlighted that this deployment reflects an enhanced partnership during Singh’s visit and that the UK and India will engage in more complex military exercises in the future. They aim to protect critical trade routes and uphold the international rules-based system.
The discussions between the two ministers covered various aspects of defense cooperation, including joint exercises, knowledge sharing, and instructor exchanges.
The MoD also outlined several new joint initiatives, such as the establishment of a dedicated office called Defence Partnership-India to further enhance defense collaboration.
They also committed to instructor exchanges, a Youth Exchange MOU, research and development collaborations, and an agreement on logistics exchange. Singh’s visit to the UK concludes with an engagement with the Indian community at a diaspora reception.
