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Exercise Konkan 2026 ends off Plymouth after INS Trishul and HMS Sutherland drill together

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Update: TrendDesh reported INS Trishul's arrival at Plymouth for this drill on 12 Oct. This report covers the end of Exercise Konkan and its sea phase.

Exercise Konkan, the yearly sea drill between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy, ended off Plymouth in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2026, the Ministry of Defence said. The 2026 edition ran from 8 to 15 October. India sent the stealth frigate INS Trishul, while the Royal Navy deployed HMS Sutherland, a Duke-class anti-submarine warfare frigate. The exercise was conducted by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Operational Standards and Training organisation (FOST), which runs training at sea for British and allied crews.

Exercise Konkan: INS Trishul at sea off Plymouth with a Royal Navy boat during the 2026 drill
INS Trishul at sea off Plymouth with a Royal Navy boat during the 2026 drill Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

How Exercise Konkan ran at sea and in harbour

The drill was held in two phases. INS Trishul reached Plymouth on 11 October, the ministry said in an earlier release, and the harbour phase included professional talks, cross-deck visits, sports fixtures, cultural events and the ship being opened to visitors. The four-day sea phase followed from 12 to 15 October. According to the ministry, it covered advanced seamanship manoeuvres, joint tactical exercises, communication procedures, anti-surface asymmetric warfare, anti-submarine warfare and weapon firings in a multi-threat maritime environment. The earlier release said the sea phase was planned across air, surface and sub-surface domains, with flying operations including cross-deck landings and air defence serials.

Key Facts

  • Dates: 8-15 Oct 2026, off Plymouth, UK
  • Sea phase: 12-15 Oct
  • Indian ship: stealth frigate INS Trishul
  • Royal Navy ship: HMS Sutherland, Duke-class frigate
  • Run by: Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST)

Anti-submarine warfare and two decades of the Indian Navy and Royal Navy

The ministry said the serials improved interoperability between the two ships, meaning their crews can work together using shared procedures. HMS Sutherland is built for anti-submarine warfare, so drills against an underwater threat were a central part of this year’s programme. The Indian Navy describes KONKAN as an annual bilateral exercise that has grown in scale and complexity over the past two decades. The 11 October release said that since its inception KONKAN has become a cornerstone of cooperation between the two navies and a sign of their commitment to maritime security. Anti-surface asymmetric warfare training prepares crews for threats from smaller, less conventional craft, while weapon firings test how sensors and weapons work together under pressure.

View from a ship's deck with a helicopter overhead during the sea phase of KONKAN-26
View from a ship's deck with a helicopter overhead during the sea phase of KONKAN-26 Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Why the drill matters for India-UK Vision 2035

The defence ministry linked the exercise to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership set out in India-UK Vision 2035, the roadmap agreed by the two governments. It said KONKAN-26 reaffirmed a shared commitment to secure, open and free seas. Through the exchange of professional know-how and best practices, the ministry said, the exercise strengthened the ability of the two navies to operate together in complex maritime situations. It called the exercise a testament to the enduring bonds between the two navies and their shared commitment to maritime peace and security. INS Trishul, a guided missile stealth frigate, took part in the harbour programme at Plymouth before the two ships sailed together.

Why It Matters: Regular drills with the Royal Navy let Indian crews test anti-submarine and air defence skills with a close partner far from home waters.

Also on TrendDesh: Exercise KONKAN 2026: INS Trishul joins Royal Navy drills off Plymouth · India Mongolia defence talks: 14th Joint Working Group meets in Ulaanbaatar, reviews cyber and training ties

Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence), 17 Oct 2026 · PIB (Ministry of Defence), 11 Oct 2026 · India Defence Wire

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