US Navy ship to be repaired at Indian shipyard for the first time

A US Navy ship would be repaired in an Indian shipyard for the first time, signalling growth of the Indian shipbuilding industry, the Defence Ministry said Sunday as USNS Charles Drew arrived at L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli in Chennai.

This is the first ever repair of a US Navy ship in India, which signifies capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market, the ministry said.

The USNS Charles Drew, a dry cargo ship of the Military Sealift Command, will be at Kattupalli for 11 days to undergo repairs.

Top officials including Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SN Ghormade visited the shipyard to welcome the vessel. US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin and Defence Attaché at the US Embassy at New Delhi Rear Admiral Michael Baker were also present.

The US ship arrives at a time when the world is witnessing increased tension between the US and China, compounded by a recent visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan and a belligerent Beijing resorting to a heavy-duty military drill near the island that China always claimed as its own.

In a veiled reference to China, the Defence Secretary said the ties between India and US had been expanding in scale and scope and were based on common values and beliefs of an open, inclusive and rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific and rest of the global common systems.

Kumar described the arrival of USNS Charles Drew for repairs as a sign of a maturing Indian shipbuilding industry.

“India has six major shipyards with turnover of nearly $2 billion. We have our own design house capable of making all kinds of state-of-the-art ships. The country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is a shining example," he said. “Indian defence exports have seen a massive increase in the last four-five years. Exports, which were worth about Rs 1,500 crore in 2015-16, have now grown by 800% to around Rs 13,000 crore.”