New Delhi:During the course of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to the UK this week, it was announced that the UK will deploy its most advanced naval capabilities, the Littoral Response Group (LRG) and the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) in the Indian Ocean to boost defence cooperation between New Delhi and London for security in the Indo-Pacific.
While the LRG will be sent to the Indian Ocean region in 2024, the CSG will be deployed in 2025. Both the LRG and CSG will operate with Indian forces in the region in what is being described as “a decisive step in bolstering UK-India security ties”.
India and the UK are members of two separate international groupings working for a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s hegemony in the region that stretches from the east coast of Japan to the east coast of Africa. India is part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad that comprises the US, Japan and Australia while the UK is part of AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership that also includes the US and Australia. The US and Australia are the only common members in both the groupings.
“There is absolutely no question that the world is becoming increasingly contested, so it’s vital that we continue to build on our strategic relationships with key partners like India,” UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said while announcing the deployment of the LRG and CSG in the Indian Ocean.
“Together we share the same security challenges and are steadfast on our commitment to maintaining a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Shapps said adding, “It is clear that this relationship (between India and the UK) is going from strength to strength, but we must continue to work hand-in-hand to uphold global security in light of threats and challenges that seek to destabilise and damage us.”
What is the LRG of the UK’s Royal Navy?
An LRG is a Royal Navy task group consisting of at least two amphibious warfare ships, a company of Royal Marines and supporting elements primarily tasked with amphibious warfare from the littoral areas. They were first deployed in 2020 and have been described by the Royal Navy as being more flexible and agile compared to previous amphibious task groups with an emphasis on forward-basing, precision strike capabilities, high mobility, modern command and control technology, networked autonomous systems and deception capabilities.
The UK has two LRGs that are in operation – LRG North (LRG-N) and LRG South (LRG-S). The LRG-North was subsequently deployed for three months between April and June 2021, operating under NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) construct off Norway and in the Baltic. The LRG-N was centred on HMS Albion and Royal Fleet Auxilary (RFA) Mounts Bay carrying 45 commando Royal Marines.
Based in Duqm, Oman, LRG-S has an area of operations extending from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and even the Pacific. According to the NavyLookout, an independent website focusing on news and analysis of the UK’s Royal Navy, LRG-S is well suited to anti-piracy and maritime interdiction operations in West Asia.
“A recent spate of attacks on merchant shipping appears to be part of a proxy war between Iran and Israel,” the website states. “At sea with helicopters and troops at high readiness, the LRG could also be well equipped to deter and potentially intervene to protect commercial shipping from this kind of attack.”