Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian Navy set for 'a new era in carrier aviation' with Royal Navy

by LAUREN CODLING

THE chief of the Indian Navy (IN) has spoken of the “valuable” partnership between themselves and the Royal Navy (RN), as a carrier aviation plan was announced between the two forces.


Admiral Sunil Lanba toured the HMNB Portsmouth naval base last Thursday (14) as part of a week-long trip to the UK.

At a press conference onboard HMS Elizabeth, Admiral Lanba spoke of the shared views of the Indian and UK militaries.

“[These shared visions] make the IN and the RN natural partners,” Lanba said, noting the 2017 formation of the Carrier Capability Partnership (CCP), which aims to share best practice with the UK’s carrier programme.

“The CCP is valuable to our navies,” he said. “Our navy aspires to be a three-carrier navy and we look forward to developing capabilities in tandem and improving our interoperability.”

Lanba, who assumed office in 2016, was given an insight into how the Royal Navy worked with industrial partners in advancing the aircraft carrier.

The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, said it was a chance to “look forward to a new era of carrier aviation”.

“I am sure we will be able to develop further synergies in our respective future carrier strike capabilities,” he said.

Describing the building and operation of aircraft carriers as “not [something] for the faint-hearted,” Jones acknowledged the demanding nature of the development.

Many nations found they were not able to deliver maritime capability, he said, which was why the CCP between two nations that could and does deliver it was so valuable for both navies.

Referring to the success of the Konkan series, an annual UK-Indian naval exercise which usually takes place off the coast of Goa in India, Jones expressed confidence at the continued partnership.

“We will be increasingly well placed to work together across the full spectrum of naval activity – from disaster relief to high-end warfighting,” he said.

Jones revealed they had also discussed opportunities where the two nations believed they could learn from each other, including how to roll out safety culture and structures across the navies.

“[It is] to make sure we are operating at the edge of operational capability but as safely as we possibly can,” he said.

Thanking the RN for its hospitality, Lanba added that the increased focus that the British force had on the Indian Ocean region was a welcome step.

“We hope to partner with the RN in leveraging our collective strengths to ensure security of the region,” he added.

More For You

China pledges to be a good friend and partner to Bangladesh

Xi Jinping

China pledges to be a good friend and partner to Bangladesh

THE Chinese president, Xi Jinping, last Friday (28) pledged deeper cooperation with his Bangladeshi counterpart Muhammad Yunus in a meeting that came as Dhaka seeks new friends to offset frosty ties with India.

Yunus took charge of Bangladesh last August after the toppling of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to New Delhi after a student-led uprising.

Keep ReadingShow less
Milton-Keynes

Eyewitnesses described hearing shouting before the shooting

iStock

Man shot dead by police outside Milton Keynes railway station

A MAN was shot dead by police outside Milton Keynes Central station after reports that he was carrying a firearm.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) said officers were called to the station at 12:55, where they challenged a suspect carrying a knife. The man moved towards officers before police fired at him.

Keep ReadingShow less
EXCLUSIVE: Eastern Eye wins press freedoms to help judges

SCRUTINY: The tribunal’s favourable verdict is an important win for accountability, say current and retired Asian judges (Pic credit: Getty Images/Leon Neal)

EXCLUSIVE: Eastern Eye wins press freedoms to help judges

A tribunal has ordered the body which appoints judges in England and Wales to disclose records it refused to give to Eastern Eye.

The decision is a major victory for press freedoms because it forces the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to become more open and transparent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunita-Williams-Reuters

Sunita Williams was part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission and had been stranded in space for over nine months. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters)

India looks amazing from space, says Sunita Williams

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams described India as "amazing" from space and expressed her intention to visit her "father's home country" to share her experiences on space exploration.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, she responded to a question about how India appeared from space and the possibility of collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less