British pilots go ‘head-to-head’ with Indian Airforce as Royal Navy carrier group concludes visit

Indian pilots jousted with British top guns high over the Arabian Sea as the UK Carrier Strike Group ended its visit with a major workout for Anglo-Indian air power.

The Strike Group, led by flagship aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, left Goa and Mumbai after a week-long visit promoting UK industry and strengthening ties between London and Delhi, to conclude Exercise Konkan, the regular test of the Commonwealth nations’ navies.

Konkan, which takes its name from the stretch of coastline on India’s western seaboard, allows Royal and Indian Navies to hone their collective skills.

Half a dozen F-35Bs acted as the carrier’s shield, while a dozen Indian fast jets – eight Su30 ‘Flankers’ and four Jaguars, aided by an Il-78 ‘Mainstay’ AWACS aircraft – tried to penetrate the defensive screen