After opening a second Indian shipyard for US warships, India can play a key role in supporting the operations of Western countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
India has taken another important step in strengthening its maritime cooperation with the United States by opening a second shipyard to repair and maintain US Navy warships. Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), which will build India's second aircraft carrier, will now use its capacity to repair US Navy ships. This was reported by The Eurasian Times columnists in April.
The publication said that earlier the US Navy signed a five-year agreement with the Indian side, according to which the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli near Chennai is actively involved in the repair of the vessels of the Military Sealift Command and ships of the US Navy. Thus, observers note, the agreement with CSL makes it possible to carry out repair and maintenance of American warships both on the east and west coasts of India.
This partnership goes beyond cooperation with the US, as evidenced by the recent docking of two British ships — Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus and RFA Lyme Bay — to L&T shipyard for maintenance. This is the first time a Royal Navy ship has undergone maintenance at an Indian shipyard, underscoring the growing maritime cooperation between the UK and India.
Pressure on China
West relies on India in maintenance of its warships passing through the Indo-Pacific region, so another facility for the repair and maintenance of warships is another twist in the “turning of the screws” for the Chinese navy.
“US warships are getting fewer sailing hours due to increasing delays and maintenance costs. This is a worrying trend as the US struggles to keep up with China's growing fleet and faces other adversaries at sea – including Russia,” &mdash ; columnists write.
In addition, the US is considering using private shipyards in Japan to maintain, repair and overhaul its warships in an attempt to reduce delays. At the same time, the project may affect South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines.
As for India, experts note, it is a kind of “entry point” to the South China Sea, so its facilities, such as ship repair yards, can play a key role in supporting Western operations in the region.
“The US is expected to provide infrastructure development support in India to provide logistical support to its naval forces operating in the Indo-Pacific region,” — experts concluded.