India-UK Cooperation Strengthens As Indian Warship INS Tabar and Royal Navy Conducts Naval Drills in English Channel

The Indian Naval ship Tabar and the Royal Navy conduct naval drills last weekend to improve cooperation for a better relationship. This comes as the UK is tilting to members of the Quad in the South China Sea conflict.

The arrival of an Indian Frigate in Portsmouth last week to participate in wargames, to further military cooperation and firm up military partnership.

Planned activities will be anti-sub warfare, aerial defense, helicopter ops, and relevant operations for maritime forces to orient both navies.

Konkan exercises held

The INS Tabar, called Battle-axe in Sanskrit, had earlier been part of the Konkan sea drills and will be working with the refurbished frigate HMS Westminster in several exercises for offense and defense of Naval fleets, reported the Express UK.

The exercises were held on the 75th Indian Independence anniversary to show how both nations are onto a new age of cooperation.

In World War II, as many as 20,000 Indians served in the Royal Indian Navy with honors. Now the 300- sailors of Tabar will pay their respects to the dead of the First and Second World war, which they will do in the Southsea Common Naval Memorial.

More than ever, the challenges of facing China in the Indo-Pacific will be crucial how the UK and India bring their specialties and become a force to be reckoned with.

A few weeks earlier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth carried major war games with the Indian Navy in the Bengal Bay with its carrier strike group. Included in the drills were ten ships and two submarines. It was one of the more extensive drills that the new carrier did with a major navy.

According to Alessio Patalano, an East Asian Warfare and Security expert from London's King College, the drills were an exercise in learning what the other navies are capable of doing with complex maritime operations.

Indian, Royal Navy connected by history

References to India are quite sparing when taken into account by the UK government's integrated review. The widen engagement in the Indo-Pacific is enhanced with stronger defensive and security deals that will be key with India.

As one of the authors of the report, Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner of India, mentioned that India factors a lot in defense and security terms.

He cited that both nations have cultural and military communications to speed up arrangements between them.

James Rogers of the Council on Geostrategy said that having Britain push a more prominent role in the Asian powder keg is serious. The deployment of the HMS Queen Elizabeth is proof of that, cited Eminetra. Both commonwealths are serious about guarding their interests more than ever.

India is a stumbling block for China, and Delhi will be made aware of the deception of Beijing now and into the future. The UK will bolster the Quad member to keep the alliance intact.

Indian High Commissioner HE Gaitri Issar Kumar said the Indian Navy and Royal Navy are connected by history, the visit of INS Tabar is important, as well as the conduct of naval drills are furthering cooperation between the two nations, noted Digital Patrox.