Overview

• On October 14, IAF Su-30 MKIs, Jaguar fighters, AWACS and AEW&C aircraft flew with Royal Navy F-35Bs launched from HMS Prince of Wales over the Indian Ocean.
• The IAF said the training strengthened interoperability, built mutual trust and reinforced a shared commitment to regional stability.
• The aerial exercise followed KONKAN 25’s sea phase, which concluded on October 8 with complex tactical air defence, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations.
• UK Carrier Strike Group units visited Mumbai and Goa during the deployment, with paired carrier aviation and coordinated submarine-hunt activities reported during KONKAN 25.
• Separately, defence officials told ANI that DRDO plans to develop an Astra Mark 2 variant with a range above 200 km and that a proposal to acquire about 700 missiles for platforms including Su-30s and LCAs is expected to go to the Defence Ministry.