Submarine Tender USS Emory S. Land visits Visakhapatnam

The USS Emory S. Land, a United States Navy “submarine tender” which provides consumables, electricity, water, ordnance, spare parts, medical, mail, and even legal services for submarines and their crews out at sea is docked at Visakhapatnam port, the headquarters of Eastern Naval Command.

The ship hosts 53 different specialized shops on-board. The Emory S. Land is the lead ship of her class, a 645-foot vessel that displaces over 22,000 tons of seawater when fully loaded. The Emory S. Land arrived in Visakhapatnam, for a port call on 13 October and scheduled to leave on Tuesday. During ship visit, U.S. Sailors worked to enhance U.S. and Indian military cooperation by conducting professional exchanges and sharing naval experiences with their counterparts. U.S. Consul General Joel Reifman greeted the ship’s arrival in Visakhapatnam.

“It is an honor to welcome Captain Luckett and the crew of the USS Emory S. Land to Andhra Pradesh. The U.S.-India partnership at sea is critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Consul General Reifman. This ship visit, one of a series of port calls by U.S. Navy vessels in Visakhapatnam over the past year, enhances growing defense collaboration between the United States and India, a US consulate statement said.

“This region of India is a hub for U.S.-India partnership and innovation, from U.S.-India defense industry cooperation in Hyderabad to military-to-military partnership activities like this one on the coast of AP,” said Consul General Reifman. “The substantive exchanges between our two navies during this visit will further bolster coordination that is beneficial to both our countries. The U.S.-India defense partnership is strong, and getting stronger,” said the Consul General.

The USS Emory S. Land is named in honor of Admiral Emory S. Land, who is recognized for his contributions to naval architecture and submarine design, and the ship is homeported at Apra Harbor in Guam.