The United Kingdom and India conducted their first-ever dual aircraft carrier operation during a bilateral military exercise in the Indian Ocean this week, as both nations have been alarmed by China’s increasingly assertive behavior across the Indo-Pacific region.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China, which has built the world’s largest naval and coast guard fleets by hull count, is expanding its presence at sea, including deploying research vessels and spy ships in the Indian Ocean, a region that its nuclear rival, India, regards as its sphere of influence.
Given that aircraft carriers are a symbol of its military strength, the U.K. sent HMS Prince of Wales and its strike group to the Indo-Pacific region in April, during which time it transited the South China Sea, where China has sweeping claims of sovereignty.
The U.K.-India dual aircraft carrier exercise follows China’s deployment of two aircraft carriers at a base near the South China Sea, as the East Asian military power continues building its fleet of warships in an effort to challenge the United States’ naval dominance.
Britain and India’s navies—led by the Prince of Wales and INS Vikrant—kicked off Exercise Konkan in the western Indian Ocean on Sunday for a four-day drill, which also involved destroyers, frigates, submarines and aircraft.
The war game, focused on anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine and flight operations, has been conducted on a biennial basis since 2004. This year, it marked the first time that British and Indian aircraft carrier strike groups conducted an exercise together.
Photos released by the British military on Monday show the Prince of Wales and the Vikrant sailing in formation with other naval vessels during the exercise. According to India’s Ministry of Defense, participating ships included those from Norway and Japan.
The exercise’s harbor phase will commence once the sea operations conclude, when the British naval strike group will make port calls in Mumbai and Goa. The second phase of the drill will include exchanges between British and Indian naval personnel.
Exercise Konkan is scheduled to conclude on October 12, followed by a one-day drill between the British aircraft carrier strike group and the Indian Air Force off India’s western coast to practice aerial defense, according to announcements from both sides.
While the British and Indian navies conducted an exercise, the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz reportedly operated in the Indian Ocean near Diego Garcia, a strategic location for projecting U.S. power, as of Monday, according to U.S. Naval Institute News.
Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India, said in a press release on Monday: “The engagements between the carrier strike groups of our two navies demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order in the region and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.”
Royal Navy Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the U.K. carrier strike group, said in a press release on Monday: “It’s fantastic to work again with the Indian navy during Exercise Konkan to develop our combined operational capabilities. We’ve been collaborating to expand our defense capability, in support of the rules-based international system in the Indo-Pacific.”
India’s Ministry of Defense said in a press release on Sunday: “Exercise Konkan 2025 will serve as a platform to consolidate strategic ties, enhance interoperability and contribute to regional maritime stability.”
It remains to be seen whether U.S., British and Indian aircraft carriers will conduct any bilateral or trilateral drills, as they are operating simultaneously in the Indian Ocean.