NEW DELHI: India and the UK on Sunday kicked off their major `Konkan’ bilateral naval exercise in the western Indian Ocean, with the two sides deploying aircraft carriers, warships, submarines and fighters for the intense combat manoeuvres.The Indian warships are being led by aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, with its MiG-29K fighters on board, while the UK carrier strike group (CSG) is led by HMS Prince of Wales, with its F-35B multi-role stealth jets, as well as “assets” from Norway and Japan for the exercise, which comes ahead of British PM Keir Starmer’s visit to India on Oct 8-9. “The UK and India believe in an Indo-Pacific that is free and open. We share an ambition for a modern defence and security partnership, a fundamental pillar of UK-India Vision 2035, agreed by our PMs this year,” said British high commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron.“The engagements between the CSGs of our two navies demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order in the region and lay the groundwork for future cooperation,” she added.The biennial naval exercise will include complex maritime operational drills focusing on anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine exercises as well as flying operations and other seamanship evolutions. The UK CSG is also scheduled to participate in a one-day aerial defence exercise with the IAF, which will deploy Sukhoi-30MKI and Jaguar fighters, off the west coast on Oct 14.“Exercise Konkan will serve as a platform to consolidate strategic ties, enhance interoperability and contribute to regional maritime stability. It is a reaffirmation of the shared commitment to ensuring secure, open and free seas,” Indian Navy spokesperson Captain Vivek Madhwal said.The Konkan series of exercises has grown significantly in scale and complexity over the last two decades, fostering enhanced interoperability and mutual understanding in maritime operations between the two navies, he added.The UK CSG is currently on an eight-month multinational deployment called “Operation Highmast”, which includes complex exercises with partners and allies in the region. The CSG warships will also visit the ports in Mumbai and Goa after the conclusion of the Konkan exercise.