U.K. Signs $797M Defense Deals with India for Missiles, Warship Engines

The United Kingdom and India have signed defense contracts worth £600 million ($797 million) during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India on October 9.

The deals were announced as the Royal Navy’s HMS Richmond arrived in Mumbai and HMS Prince of Wales docked in Goa as part of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group’s deployment to the Indian Ocean. The ships were welcomed by India’s Western Naval Command amid ongoing naval exercises between the two nations.

The first contract, valued at £350 million, involves Thales in Northern Ireland supplying the Indian Army with lightweight multirole missiles and launchers. The second agreement, worth £250 million, focuses on developing electric-powered engines for Indian naval ships, aimed at advancing cleaner and quieter propulsion systems.

The bilateral cooperation comes during joint operations in the Indian Ocean under Exercise Konkan, where F-35 Lightning jets from HMS Prince of Wales flew alongside Indian MiG-29Ks. Both carrier groups also conducted anti-submarine warfare training involving Merlin Mk2 helicopters, a Royal Navy frigate, and Indian P-8 Neptune patrol aircraft.

The Carrier Strike Group’s stop in India forms part of Operation Highmast, a deployment spanning Japan, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore.