More Mid-voyage Repairs of U.S. Navy Ships in India: Secretary Austin

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III expressed support for repair of Navy ships by India when he spoke to Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh today.

An official Pentagon statement said Austin spoke to Singh to discuss a range of recent security developments of shared interest, including in East Asia, the Indian Ocean Region, and beyond.  Their call came on the heels of a productive set of engagements in New Delhi last week for the 2+2 Intersessional and Maritime Security Dialogues.

The Secretary congratulated Minister Singh on the commissioning of the INS Vikrant, noting the significance of the event for India’s role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific. In light of the evolving regional security environment, the two defense leaders committed to expanding information-sharing and logistics cooperation as the U.S. and Indian militaries operate and coordinate more closely together.

Secretary Austin expressed his support for additional mid-voyage repairs of U.S. Navy ships in India following the historic visit of the USNS Charles Drew to Chennai in August.

L&T’s Kattupalli Shipyard became the first in India to carry out repairs of a U.S. Navy ship. The United States Sealift Command’s Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship will undergo Voyage Repair Availability (VRA) and allied services, and is likely to be here for 10 days. USNS Charles Drew delivers critical supplies including food, fuel, spare parts, and mail to other U.S. Navy vessels.

“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 Indian defense ministry said.

Additionally, Austin and Singh agreed to initiate a dialogue later this year to deepen bilateral collaboration in space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and other new defense domains. Secretary Austin and Minister Singh highlighted their commitment to strengthening defense technology and industrial cooperation to support India’s rise as an industry leader and regional security provider.

They also underscored the value of advancing cooperation through the Quad partnership to sustain regional peace, stability, and prosperity, including through coordinated humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

The two leaders committed to an ambitious set of initiatives leading up to the 2+2 Ministerial in India early next year, as the United States and India work to swiftly expand the depth and breadth of their cooperation.  They concluded the call by reaffirming the centrality of the U.S.-India defense partnership to their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.