Cochin Shipyard signs ship repair agreement with the U.S. Navy

As India and the U.S. look to expand cooperation in ship repair and maintenance to turn India into a regional hub, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) became the third Indian shipyard to enter into a Master Shipyard Repair Agreement (MRSA) with the U.S., which will enable to repair U.S. Navy ships.

The Staterun shipbuilding facility in Kochi is the latest in the line after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL)

L&T shipyard in Kattupalli near Chennai was the first Indian shipyard to sign the agreement in July last year. Last month, a U.K. naval ship arrived for the first time at Kattupalli for repairs.

“... The MSRA is a nonfinancial agreement and is

CSL became the third shipyard to enter into a pact with the U.S.

effective from April 5, 2024. This will facilitate repair of US Naval vessels under Military Sealift Command in CSL,” the entity said in a disclosure to stock exchanges, adding: “CSL has been qualified for entering into the MSRA after a detailed evaluation process and capability assessment by the US Navy – Military Sealift Command”.

Both India and the U.S. are quite keen on expanding cooperation in ship maintenance and repairs as it benefits both countries, giving business and expertise to Indian shipyards while giving alternate options to the U.S. Navy for the smaller repairs of its ships without going faraway increasing their turnaround time and at a lesser cost.

In a joint statement issued after bilateral talks held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden in September last year, both sides recommitted to advancing India’s “emergence as a hub for the maintenance and repair” of forwarddeployed U.S. Navy assets and other aircraft and vessels.

U.K. deploying its fleet

On March 26, the U.K.’s Littoral Response Group (LRG) arrived in Chennai as the first engagement of its deployment to the Indian Pacific region. The

U.K. High Commission said the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus and RFA Lyme Bay conducted maritime exercises with the Indian Navy as they entered the Arabian Sea and will undergo essential maintenance at L&T shipyard.

“The visit of LRG attests to the U.K.’s capability and commitment to the IndoPacific. The sight of Royal Navy ships undergoing essential maintenance at an Indian shipyard is yet another example of the IndiaUK Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in practice,” said Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Advisor, British High Commission.

Following the completion of its maintenance in India, the LRG will operate in the IndoPacific to conduct training, exercises, and wider engagement with allies and partners, the statement added.