India and the United Kingdom (UK) fielded their navies in a second exercise that involving an aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, guided missile frigates, missile destroyers, supply tankers, and 1 embedded French ship off the Konkan coast.
India fielded indigenously built front line ships such as guided-missile destroyer INS Mumbai and guided missile frigate INS Ganga and INS Brahmaputra. Additionally, fleet replenishment tanker INS Shakti and submarine INS Shankush will also participate.
The UK will field aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, guided missile destroyer HMS Gloucester, fleet reenlistment tanker HMS Fort Victoria, submarine support ship HMS Diligence, and nuclear-powered submarine SSN Sovereign. The embedded French frigate, FNS Surcouf will also support the Royal Navy.
This is the first time India will exercise with a British nuclear submarine although it has done so with American and French ones. The UK and France have an agreement where their ships will embed with each other’s navies so they can be battle ready in times of joint operation. A British embedded ship participated in
Indo-French
"Varuna" exercises.
The exercise will cover intermediate and advanced anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction operations, Visit-Board-Search-Seizure (VBSS) procedures, naval gunfire, and tactical maneuvers.