HMS Richmond, a vessel from the United Kingdom&rsquo;s Carrier Strike Group (CSG), arrived at Mumbai port following the completion of Exercise Konkan&mdash;a significant bilateral naval drill conducted between HMS Prince of Wales and India&rsquo;s INS Vikrant in the Indian Ocean region.
Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the CSG, described the exercise as a milestone in strengthening operational synergy between the two navies. 
&ldquo;It was a unique opportunity to bring together both nations&rsquo; newest aircraft carriers for the first time. We&rsquo;ve learned a great deal and made strong progress toward our interoperability goals in both maritime and aerial domains. The Konkan exercise was extremely well-planned and executed,&rdquo; Blackmore said while speaking to The Hindu aboard HMS Richmond.
Addressing the growing strategic challenges in the Indian Ocean amid China&rsquo;s increasing presence, Commodore Blackmore emphasized the importance of collaboration. 
&ldquo;The more we cooperate and operate together as blue-water carrier navies, the better prepared we&rsquo;ll be to respond collectively whenever required,&rdquo; he said.
Lord Coaker, the UK&rsquo;s Minister of State (Minister for the House of Lords), also spoke during the visit, highlighting ongoing defence cooperation between India and the UK. 
&ldquo;Our agreement should progress in areas such as electric propulsion for Indian ships and expanded training and educational exchanges. We look forward to Indian officers coming to the UK and, soon, British officers training in India as well,&rdquo; he said.
He added that enhanced defence industry collaboration would benefit both nations, expressing hope for more joint projects between Indian and British defence industries in the near future.

British warship HMS Richmond arrives at Mumbai

HMS Richmond visit highlights growing India-UK naval interoperability

HMS Richmond Docks In Mumbai After Konkan

HMS Richmond visit highlights growing India-UK naval interoperability

October 12, 2025 | 16:36 IST