Eight Su-30s and four Jaguars faced six F-35Bs during a carrier defense scenario as part of the HMS Prince of Wales’ participation in Exercise Konkan.
Indian Air Force (IAF) Su-30MKIs, Jaguar IN maritime strike aircraft and an Il-76 Phalcon airborne radar practiced striking the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier and the Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25), while Britain’s Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning IIs responded to stop them as part of Exercise Konkan.
The first-of-its-kind “head-to-head” complex maritime strike and aerial combat scenarios took place on Oct. 14, 2025, and was announced by all three services involved on Oct. 18. This was a special drill two days after the current iteration of the two-decade-old Exercise Konkan of the Indian and the Royal Navy concluded on the western Indian seaboard.
The RAF listed a total of 22 jets taking part in the scenario, identifying the composition as six F-35Bs from the 617 Squadron embarked on the HMS Prince of Wales, eight Su-30MKIs, an Indian AEW&C aircraft (Airborne Early Warning and Control) – which has been called the to the Il-78 ‘Mainstay’, referring to the Il-76 with the EL/W-2090 Phalcon radar – and four Jaguars.
The post on X added the services practiced “four dogfights,” and “three mission types.” Notably, the post incorrectly identified the aircraft carrier as the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
⚔️ Lightning vs Flanker 🇬🇧🇮🇳#ExKonkan: 617 Sqn launched 6 F-35Bs from HMS Queen Elizabeth to face 8 Su-30MKIs, Jaguars & AWACS.
🔥 22 jets. 4 dogfights. 3 mission types.
First UK carrier clash with Flankers testing fusion, agility & tactics. pic.twitter.com/Lb1Z3pujoL
— Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) October 18, 2025
Aerial drills
Exercise Konkan 2025 took as place the Royal Navy’s six-month-long Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG 25) deployment, designated Operation Highmast, is drawing to a close. The flotilla is on its return journey to the United Kingdom, after wrapping the Indo-Pacific leg of its deployment.
The RN’s release said: “Half a dozen F-35Bs acted as the carrier’s shield, while a dozen Indian fast jets – eight Su-30 ‘Flankers’ and four Jaguars, aided by an Il-78 ‘Mainstay’ AWACS aircraft – tried to penetrate the defensive screen to conduct simulated strikes at the flagship as well as her escorts.”
In the images released by both the services, we can count only six aircraft, including two each of the F-35B, Su-30MKI and the Jaguar IN, with the rest of the planes not being captured. The RAF said it was the “first UK carrier clash with Flankers testing fusion, agility and tactics.”
We’ve been working seamlessly with the Indian Navy in a joint air-sea exercise. Demonstrating deepening ties, shared capabilities, and readiness to operate. #CSG25 #ExcerciseKonkan pic.twitter.com/w9ut89mm4t
— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) October 17, 2025
The Su-30MKI is the IAF’s frontline multirole/air-dominance fighter, with a far more established position than the Rafale. Around 40 Su-30s have also been integrated with the BrahMos-A, the air-launched version of the Indo-Russian land and ship-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
The IAF’s Jaguar is another vital “deep penetration strike aircraft”, with many of the three variants, Jaguar IS, IB and the maritime strike IM receiving the DARIN III (Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation) upgrades. “For the air power of both nations, the mock dogfights allowed personnel to test individual skills, weapons systems and sensors, plus tactics in particular against aircraft they do not normally encounter,” the RN press release said.
The dogfight may have involved F-35Bs on CAP (Combat Air Patrols) running into the Su-30s. It would have introduced the British pilots to the maneuvering capabilities which they would encounter flying against the Russian and Chinese air forces with their Su-30SM/SM2, Su-35S, J-16 and Su-33 fighters. These jets are however vastly different and in many respects superior to the Indian Sukhois with better engines, electronics, electronic warfare and radar suites.
🇮🇳🤝🇬🇧#ExKonkan2025
An action-packed & professionally enriching Sea Phase concluded on #08Oct 25.
Participating units exchanged traditional courtesies during a ceremonial steampast.
Ships have proceeded to respective destinations to progress the harbour phase, promising… https://t.co/Oq5EsXRptd pic.twitter.com/qnLWtaamqt
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) October 10, 2025
The IAF’s AWACS mentioned by the Royal Navy is a Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft carrying an Israeli EL/W-2090 AESA radar disc, known as the Phalcon AEW&C, of which India operates three aircraft. The Royal Navy also incorrectly identifies it as the Il-78 ‘Mainstay’.
The IAF press release said: “On 14 Oct 25, IAF Sukhoi-30 MKIs, Jaguars, AWACS & AEW&C aircraft joined Royal Navy F-35Bs from HMS Prince of Wales for a joint exercise over the Indian Ocean Region. The training strengthened interoperability, mutual trust, and collective commitment to regional stability.”
Exercise Konkan 2025
The Indian Navy announced the two-phased Konkan-25’s start on Oct. 5, 2025, on India’s western coast, and its conclusion on Oct. 12, noting now the two-decade old exercise “grown significantly in scale and complexity, fostering enhanced interoperability and mutual understanding in maritime operations between the two navies.”
🇮🇳🤝🇬🇧#ExKonkan2025
An action-packed & professionally enriching Sea Phase concluded on #08Oct 25.
Participating units exchanged traditional courtesies during a ceremonial steampast.
Ships have proceeded to respective destinations to progress the harbour phase, promising… https://t.co/Oq5EsXRptd pic.twitter.com/qnLWtaamqt
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) October 10, 2025
The first “harbour phase” included “professional interactions, cross deck visits, sports fixtures, cultural engagements, Joint Working Group meetings and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges.” The second sea phase included “complex maritime operational drills” like “anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine exercises, flying operations and other seamanship evolutions.”
These were conducted with both the navies’ frontline assets, including aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and the HMS Prince of Wales. An HMA1 Merlin also operated off the INS Vikrant, which carries some of the MiG-29K/KUB naval fighters of the INAS 303 “Black Panthers” (Indian Naval Air Squadron 303), with the others operating from the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
The Royal Navy on Oct. 8 reported the HMS Prince of Wales arriving in the south western state of Goa, and the HMS Richmond Type 23 ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) frigate reached the western Indian city of Mumbai. Mumbai is home to the Western Naval Command, also known as the Indian Navy’s “Sword Arm”.
The JMSDF’s (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) JS Akebono destroyer and the Royal Norwegian Navy’s HNoMS Roald Amundsen frigate also participated in this year’s edition of the exercise.
Reflecting on a successful #ExKonkan it’s great to be alongside in India 🇬🇧🤝🇮🇳 #CSG25 #OpHighmast pic.twitter.com/HUkRj7QxtO
— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) October 9, 2025
Interestingly, the British F-35Bs from the HMS Prince of Wales had just flown with Su-30s of the Royal Malaysian Air Force during Exercise Bersama Lima 2025, which wrapped up on Oct. 6, and announced the UK Carrier Strike Strike Group’s next stop to India “for further defence engagement.” Bersama Lima also saw the participation of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Exercise #BersamaLima has wrapped up! 🤝
Over two weeks, the UK joined Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand for training across sea, air and land.
The @COMUKCSG is now heading to India for further defence engagement.#CSG25 pic.twitter.com/8Qk2T7sL04
— Royal Navy (@RoyalNavy) October 6, 2025
The IN’s press release then announced the CSG 25’s planned “one-day” exercise on Oct. 14 with the Indian Air Force off the western coast of India, prior to the British flotilla “continuing with her planned deployment.” The press release further added “This exercise is a reaffirmation of the shared commitment to ensuring secure, open and free seas […] consolidate strategic ties, enhance interoperability and contribute to regional maritime stability.”
🇮🇳🤝🇬🇧
Day 1 #ExKonkan2025 kicks off with key leadership engagement between RAdm Vivek Dahiya #FOCWF and
Cmde James Blackmore, Commander #CSG25, and pre-sail conference onboard #INSVikrant.
Participating units joined respective forces and dispersed to assigned areas… https://t.co/lhjZ8m7wl8 pic.twitter.com/JmJTfVK2md
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) October 6, 2025
The aircraft carrier sailed from Britain in April for the Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25) deployment, designated Operation Highmast. The Carrier Air Wing aboard HMS Prince of Wales hosts 24 F-35Bs both from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, assigned to the 809 NAS (Naval Air Squadron) and the 617 Squadron “Dambusters”, respectively. Interestingly, an F-35B from the HMS Prince of Wales’s 617 Squadron was stranded in the southern Indian state of Kerala for 37 days beginning Jun. 14, owing to bad weather and a hydraulic snag.
