KONKAN EXERCISE

Description

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Context: Konkan 2023, the annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy, was held off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.

Details:

Participants:

INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 guided missile frigate, participated in this edition and undertook multiple maritime drills to enhance interoperability and imbibe best practices.
The exercises covered all domains of maritime operations, air, surface and sub-surface, and included gunnery shoots on surface inflatable target ‘Killer Tomato’, helicopter operations, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare drills, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), ship manoeuvres and exchange of personnel.
The focus personnel exhibited on op-readiness, enhancing interoperability and improving the ability to conduct joint operations will go a long way in bolstering the combined efforts of the IN and RN to strengthen maritime security and uphold a rules-based order in the region.

About INS Trishul:

INS Trishul is the second frigate of the Talwar class of the Indian Navy.
Trishul, the guided missile frigate, joined the arsenal of Indian Navy in 2003.

Talwar class:

These ships use stealth technologies and a special hull design to ensure a reduced radar cross section.
The Talwar-class frigates or Project 11356 are a class of stealth guided missile frigates designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy.
The Talwar-class guided missile frigates are the improved versions of the Krivak III-class (Project 1135) frigates used by the Russian Coast Guard.
Six ships were built in two batches between 1999 and 2013.
The first frigate, INS Talwar was delivered in May 2002.
The second, INS Trishul, was delivered in November 2002 and the third, INS Tabar, in May 2003.
Batch 2: Teg, Tarkash, Trikand
Batch 3: Tushil, Tamala (will be soon commissioned)
Batch 4 (Triput class): Under Construction