Indian armed forces team tours UK’s Defence Academy

Armed forces participants from the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) of India met with senior UK defence officials as part of an International Strategic Management Tour to Britain this week.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the visit reflected the strengthening ties with counterparts in India, with the UK-India defence partnership getting a boost through such educational visits and joint staff talks.

The delegation from India follows the UK’s announcement during the visit last month of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of plans to deploy its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the Indian Ocean Region in 2025.

“Major General James Roddis, Director Strategy at Strategic Command, met with participants from the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) of India,” the MoD said in a statement.

''The participants were briefed on the role of Strategic Command, and the role of Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in supporting operations, as part of an International Strategic Management Tour,” it said.

The trip also included a visit to the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, south-east England, a meeting with Commandant Major General Andrew Roe and a tour of the Tech Hub.

“The Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre welcomed the HDMC, provided updates on the development of the 7th edition of Global Strategic Trends, and discussed the importance of global partnerships in achieving shared goals,” the MoD said.

The HDMC of India members also met representatives from the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Navy and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

During these meetings, their discussions focused on recent developments within UK defence, including the Integrated Review Refresh and the release of the latest Defence Command Paper.

“Potential joint opportunities in the cyber and electromagnetic domain were explored as well as the ethical use of AI in Defence,” MoD added.

The tour took place as part of knowledge sharing between the two countries, described as a key aspect of the strategic partnership between India and the UK which contributes to the vision set out in the 2030 roadmap.

After bilateral talks with Rajnath Singh last month, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps announced that the Littoral Response Group (LRG) of Royal Navy warships would be deployed to the Indian Ocean region later this year to operate and train with Indian forces and the CRG will be deployed next year for joint India-UK training. The deployment of the UK’s “most advanced naval capabilities” was flagged by the UK MoD as a “decisive step” in bolstering UK-India security ties.