U.K., India Joint Military Exercise is to Keep Peace and Stability: CSG Top Officer

As the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) gets ready for one of the biggest joint exercises – Konkan Shakti – with Indian armed forces, its biggest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has an added task- it aims to strengthen military as well as cultural ties with India with an intent to ‘demonstrate that democracies that have similar views of the world want to work together to keep peace and stability.’

Amid reports that the joint exercise may not be appreciated by China, which could see it as an answer to its might, the CSG’s top officer said peaceful negotiations remained the only answer but like-minded nations must stand together to protect free flow of trade.

“But what is really important is the nations, I mean India, the United Kingdom and Japan and many others, in that region are maritime trading nations. Have been for hundreds of years. We rely on the free flow of trade, unencumbered and that is hugely important to us. And I think if anybody tries to stymie that or stop that, the like-minded nations would want to come together and stand against it,” Commodore Steve Moorhouse OBE, CSG Commander, told reporters onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.

He stated that was what lot of these exercises were about. “They demonstrate that democracies that have similar views of the world want to work together to keep peace and stability. That could be in the South China Sea or the western Indian Ocean or the Gulf of Aden or the North Sea,” he observed.

Stationed 50 miles off the Mumbai coast, this is the first aircraft carrier in the world, designed from the outset to operate fifth generation combat aircraft, which will be hosting members from industry, trade, science and technology in coming days, including a chef.

“Specifically with India, there is a whole comprehensive and strategic partnership that the two Prime Ministers have signed and visioned out at Roadmap 2030. We are one part of it. I am the expert in military field. There are other areas of partnership with India that we are looking to strengthen and take forward.” Commodore Moorhouse noted.

Source: The Hindu