Defence officials from the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) of India met with senior UK counterparts to carry on the exchange of educational visits and Joint Staff talks 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.
The MoD said in a statement that Major General James Roddis, Director Strategy at Strategic Command, met with participants from the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) of India. 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.
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The trip also included a visit to the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, south-east England, 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 on the 7th edition of Global Strategic Trends, and discussed the importance of global partnerships in achieving shared goals, according to the MoD.
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.
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The MoD added that potential joint opportunities in the cyber and electromagnetic domain were explored as well as the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in defence.
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.