US Navy Vessel Arrives At India’s L&T Shipyard For Repairs

This is the second time the US has sent one of its vessels to Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Kattupalli shipyard based in Chennai for repairs. The US Navy’s replenishment ship, dubbed the USNS Matthew Perry, is now docked at L&T Kattupalli for its repairs. It will be here March 11-29.

In 2022 (August), the dry cargo ship Charles Drew underwent repairs and stayed in India for more than 11 days.

The US-India 2+2 meeting in April last year reportedly resulted in both these nations agreeing to explore the potential of utilizing Indian shipyards for repair work and maintain vessels from the Maritime Sealift Command of the US and to offer mid-voyage repair services to the US Naval vessels.

R Hari Kumar, India’s Navy Chief Admiral, has declared that the rising utilization of India’s shipyards and naval dockyards by friendly foreign nations for repairs and refits of their platforms has reportedly enhanced the prospects of the Indian indigenous shipbuilding industry.

Speaking on ‘National Security Challenges in the Maritime Domain’ this week at a Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) ceremony, he reportedly emphasized that India has an opportunity to undertake significant repairs and refit and refit and re-position itself as a central hub in this region.

The recently released Economic Survey 2022–23 has reportedly recognized the Indian Navy‘s contribution to shipbuilding and noted that each rupee spent on shipbuilding reportedly triggers the circulation of Rs 1.82 in the economy.

Adm Kumar further highlighted that 41 out of 43 vessels and submarines the Navy ordered are being constructed in the Indian shipyards.

The Navy’s chief has repeatedly emphasized the significant employment opportunities yielded by the indigenous construction of INS Vikrant, mentioning that it had employed about 2,000 shipyards and 13,000 non-yard employees each year, proving the whopping shipbuilding employment multiplier effect at 6.4. He further added that the Navy’s current order book is worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore and is expected to result in the circulation of about Rs 2.73 lakh crore in the Indian shipbuilding sector in its entirety.

The deepening of security and military cooperation between the US and India over the past few decades, with India signing foundational agreements and acquiring military platforms and hardware from the US, has been noted.

References: The Hindu, Financial Express 

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Source: Maritime Shipping News