US naval ship arrives in India for repair

US naval ship Charles Drew docked at Larsen & Toubro’s shipyard in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on Sunday (7) for undertaking repairs and allied services, in the first such voyage to India by an American vessel.

The defence ministry described it as a ‘huge boost’ to ‘Make in India’ and said the visit added a new dimension to the burgeoning Indo-US strategic partnership.

‘This is the first ever repair of a US Navy ship in India. The US Navy had awarded a contract to L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli for undertaking maintenance of the ship,’ the ministry said in a statement.

The USNS Charles Drew will be at the Kattupalli shipyard for 11 days.

‘The event signifies the capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market. Indian shipyards offer wide-ranging and cost-effective ship repair and maintenance services, using advanced maritime technology platforms,’ the ministry said.