(
opex360,fr, aug.08)
For the first time, the US Navy is entrusting one of its ships to an Indian shipyard
For the same reasons as Turkey, India could have faced the rigours of the US Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for having purchased S-400 'Triumph' air defence systems from Russia. Indeed, there was some debate within the US administration as to whether sanctions should be applied to New Delhi for this purchase.
However, beyond possible interoperability problems with the US-made equipment acquired by Indian forces, the Pentagon opposed any sanctions that might affect Indian interests for at least two reasons: to avoid compromising future [and lucrative] arms contracts and to make India a counterweight to Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
This has led to a strengthening of military cooperation between the United States and India through the signing of several agreements, such as the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for space intelligence and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), which allows Indian forces to access secure information networks used by American aircraft, such as Link 16.
This cooperation has just reached a new level with the decision of the US Navy's Military Sealift Command to entrust the maintenance of one of its logistics ships, the USNS "Charles Drew" [Lewis & Clarke class], to the Indian shipyard L&T, located in Kattupalli, in south-east India. A first.
The USNS Charles Drew arrived in Kattupali for maintenance work. It is expected to stay there for about ten days, according to the Indian press. Built by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company [NASSCO], this 45,000 tonne ship was admitted to service in 2011. It is part of a programme with 14 units in total.
According to
The Economic Times, the L&T shipyard "has a unique ship-lifting capability that allows it to work on several platforms at the same time. It has already built ships for the Navy and the Coast Guard. It has also won export orders.
For Indian Defence Minister Ajay Kumar, this is a milestone not only for the Indian naval industry but also for the defence relationship with the US. The arrival of the USNS "Charles Drew" marks the "beginning of a new chapter for deeper engagements," he said.
"Today, India has six major shipyards, with a turnover of nearly $2 billion. We build ships for our own needs. We have our own design offices capable of designing all kinds of state-of-the-art ships. The country's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS
Vikrant, is a shining example of the growth of our shipbuilding industry. Under the new innovation ecosystem, ships that can perform autonomous missions have been built by Goa Shipyard Limited and some of our start-ups," Kumar also pointed out. (w/deepl)
economictimes.indiatimes.com
www.businesstoday.in
