U.K. leverages logistics agreement to expand maritime domain with India
The U.K. is leveraging a logistics support agreement signed with India to expand military-to-military engagements, especially in the maritime domain, as it also looks to augment its capability and deployments in the Indo-Pacic.
A U.K. warship underwent essential maintenance for the rst time in April at Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) shipyard at Kattupalli as a Royal Navy Littoral Response Group-South (LRG-S) visited India.
“The logistics-sharing agreement allows for the provision of logistic support, supplies and services between the U.K. and Indian armed forces, for joint training, joint exercises, authorised port visits and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations,” Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Advisor in the U.K. High Commission in India, said on ◣. “This agreement has been a real game changer. The vital logistics partnership supports longer deployments of our capabilities in the region and is clear evidence of the U.K.-Indo-Pacic tilt in action, in sync with India.”
India has signed a series of agreements that have signicantly expanded the logistics support for the Indian military, especially the Indian Navy which has expanded its operational turnaround across the Indian Ocean Region.
The LRG-S is a multifunctional amphibious task force equipped to undertake a wide spectrum of activity in the littoral environment, according to Brig. Sawyer and consists of the ships RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay, with embarked forces centred on a Royal Marines strike force. “This was the rst time a Royal Navy vessel underwent essential maintenance in an Indian shipyard — a direct result of the logistics-sharing agreement signed between the U.K. and India in 2022,” Brig. Sawyer said.
Prior to entering Kattupalli, the U.K. task group had conducted maritime exercises with INS Trishul
in the Arabian Sea. Following the completion, RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay
conducted a maritime exercise in the Bay of Bengal. INS Sahyadri joined the U.K. Task Group, conducting maritime manoeuvres, aviation, and replenishment serials, the Defence Adviser stated. “These activities strengthen the foundation laid for future maritime engagements as part of the 2030 U.K.-India Roadmap,” he said.