In a first, US navy ship docks in India for repairs

A USNavy ship named 'Charles Drew' made history on Sunday when it landed in India for repairs and ancillary services at Larsen & Toubro's (L&T) Shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai. This move added a new facet to the rapidly growing Indo-U.S. strategic cooperation.

“This is the first ever repair of a USNavy ship in India. The U.S. Navy had awarded a contract to L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli for undertaking maintenance of the ship. The event signifies the capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market,” a Defence Ministry statement said.

As reported by The Hindu, the USNS Charles Drew will spend 11 days at the Kattupalli shipyard getting various repairs done.

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At the India-US2+2 in April, both countries decided to look at the possibility of using Indian shipyards for the upkeep and repair of ships owned by the US Maritime Sealift Command in order to assist with mid-voyage repairs of USnaval ships.

J.D. Patil, a member of the executive council and advisor to the CEO of L&T for defence and smart technologies, stated that the Marine Sealift Command of the U.S. Navy had conducted a thorough evaluation of a few Indian shipyards before approving L&T to handle repairs on their vessels. He called this "a recognition for the modern infrastructure at the shipyard built to global standards."

The arrival of the USNS Charles Drew for repairs, according to Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar, is a symbol of a developing Indian shipbuilding industry. He called the occasion a "red-letter day" for the Indian shipbuilding industry and the Indo-US defence cooperation.

India currently has six significant shipyards with a combined annual revenue of around $2 billion. We build ships for purposes other than our own needs. We have a design studio on staff that can create a variety of cutting-edge ships. "A brilliant example of the expansion of the Indian shipbuilding sector is the nation's first indigenous aircraft carrier, Vikrant," he remarked.

Dr. Kumar further argued that India and the UShave been developing their relationship on the basis of shared ideals and perspectives about "an open, inclusive, and rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific and rest of the global common systems."

According to Dr. Kumar, India will design and develop its first large-scale marine diesel engine over the next two to three years.

He said that a decision had been made to expand the capabilities of naval shipyards and that marine diesel engines of six megawatts and more will be designed and manufactured in India, marking a significant stride toward shipbuilding activities.

The Indian Navy will issue a request for proposals in this respect. The decision to create the diesel marine engine under the "make-one" approach, in which the government contributes 70% of the project cost for the design and development of the engine, has been made, he continued.

From August 7 to August 17, the USNS Charles Drew ship will be in the port for repairs.

According to Judith Ravin, the US Consul General in Chennai, "US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin restated their commitment to explore using Indian shipyards for repairs on US Navy vessels at the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in April.

The L&T Kattupalli shipyard's first repair of a United States Navy ship, the Charles Drew, is a significant accomplishment that should be recognised as a testament to our deepened collaboration between the two countries.

The Voyage Repair Availability (VRS) of USNS Charles Drew at L&T Kattupalli, according to Vice Chief of Naval Staff S.N. Ghormade, "shows the kind of mutual trust and also consolidates our role as a significant defence partner." This significant step between India and the US would improve maritime cooperation as well.

According to Dr. Kumar, the Indo-US Defense partnership has made considerable strides in the recent few years. "We have seen a huge amount of traction in the defence industry cooperation. India's defence exports have increased significantly since thelast four to five years.

Exports have increased dramatically from 2015–2016 to the present. The US is a major market for Indian goods. This shipbuilding project opens a new section of defence exports. This is a further indication of the shipbuilding industry's maturation, he continued.

(With inputs from The Hindu)