US Navy ship Salvor arrives at Kattupalli for repairs

USNS Salvor, a rescue and salvage ship which is used as a platform to support recovery missions, has become the first US Navy ship visiting the L&T Shipyard at Kattupalli near here for voyage repairs after the signing of the landmark Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) last month.

Two other ships – USNS Charles Drew and USNS Matthew Perry – had visited the shipyard for repairs in the past one year, before signing of the formal agreement between the US Navy and L&T.

Judith Ravin, US Consul General in Chennai, Capt. Michael L Farmer, US Embassy New Delhi’s Office of Defense Cooperation, A T Ramchandani, L&T Defense Business Executive Vice President and Head, attended the welcome ceremony at the shipyard on Monday.

The ship, which does not carry any weapons, arrived at the shipyard on Sunday. Farmer also dismissed suggestions that the agreement was an attempt by the US to set up a base in India, saying the US Navy will use the shipyard only to service its ships.

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The ship is likely to leave the L&T shipyard in 15 days only to return in November for a comprehensive service.

This agreement, which is a direct outcome of the 2022 US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, demonstrates US commitment to utilize repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli and will serve to strengthen our two nations’ strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific, Ravin said.

The ship, which regularly conducts heavy-lift operations, salvage, diving, towing, offshore firefighting, and theater security cooperation missions, is one of only two rescue and salvage vessels in the MSC inventory and the only ship of its kind in the Far East. The length of the 40-year-old ship is 255 feet and it has a displacement of 3,336 tonnes.

Ravin said US President Joe Biden is expected to visit India soon -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US last month -- which will make two highest level summits between the two countries in a timespan of less than six months.

“We are committed to operationalizing the US-India Major Defense Partnership through enhanced information sharing, regional security cooperation, defense trade, and cooperation in new domains. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this Master Ship Repair Agreement and where our partnership may go in the future,” she added.

The construction of this vessel, combined with her speed and endurance, make the USNS Salvor well-suited for rescue and salvage operations throughout the world. The USNS Salvor serves as an element of the United States Navy's Combat Logistics Support Force and provides rescue and salvage services to the fleet at sea, the US Consulate General said.

Ravin said the MSRA is a legally non-binding arrangement between the US Navy and private shipbuilding contractors to pre-approve shipyards to repair US Naval vessels and involves a rigorous vetting process.

“The MSRA will fast-track US Government contracting processes for repair work and advances the Indian government’s indigenous production and logistics goals. With MSRA certification, the L&T Kattupalli shipyard may bid on US Navy and Military Sealift Command (MSC) ship repair contracts throughout the 7th Fleet area of responsibility,” the diplomat added.