India-US Cooperation Strengthens: US Navy Ship Arrives At L&T's Kattupalli Shipyard For Repairs

Following the signing of a ship repair agreement between the United States Navy and Larsen and Toubro (L&T), the US Navy ship Salvor, arrived at L&T's Kattupalli shipyard on Monday (10 July) for repairs.

The Kattupalli shipyard has already repaired two US Navy ships (USNS), namely the USNS Charles Drew and the USNS Matthew Perry.

The arrival of the USNS Salvor marks the first ship to undergo repairs under the newly signed agreement.

"The agreement is valid for five-years and will see India's leading private defence company repair the US vessels," says L&T executive vice-president, Arun Ramachandran.

The ship repair agreement, also known as 'Master Ship Repair Agreement' (MSRA), was signed between the US Navy and L&T last month (June), which according to US consulate general in Chennai, Judith Ravin, is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 ministerial dialogue.

Ravin attended the welcoming ceremony of the USNS Salvor at the Kattupalli shipyard.

Ravin said, "Master Shipyard Repair Agreement is yet another milestone in our ever-expanding US-India partnership. This historic agreement is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 ministerial dialogue and demonstrates US commitment to utilising repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli."

"This agreement will serve to strengthen our two nations’ strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Ravin further added.

Detailing the criteria for qualification under MSRA, Ravin said that, "An MSRA contractor must be a company engaged in ship repair. It must possess an organisation capable of the full scope of planning, engineering, quality control, shipboard/off-ship production, and component/systems testing and trials."

"MSRA contractors must be capable of performing 55 per cent of a complex repair and alteration work package," Ravin added.

The USNS Salvor is a salvage vessel whose job is to clear wreckage of ships at the bottom of the sea, reopen ports and conduct repairs.