In a first, UK warships dock at Chennai shipyard for maintenance

This marks the first time UK naval vessels have undergone maintenance in India. Following maintenance, the ships will engage in a maritime exercise with the Indian Navy for the first time in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Chennai.

In a decisive step to further bolster their security ties, the United Kingdom's Littoral Response Group (LRG) comprising Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus and RFA Lyme Bay docked at the Larsen & Toubro shipyard in Kattupalli near Chennai for essential maintenance for the first time in India. After maintenance, the visiting ships will conduct a maritime exercise with the Indian Navy for the first time in the Arabian Sea off the Chennai coast.

The UK Navy’s warships will be having their first engagement in the Indian Pacific region. Asianet Newsable had reported earlier that the US Navy ship Charles Drew was docked at Chennai in August 2022, for repair and allied services while its second ship USNS Matthew Perry arrived in March 2023. 

In 2022, India and the United Kingdom had inked a logistics-sharing agreement. As per the agreement, the two sides have provisions of logistic support, supplies and services for joint training, joint exercises, authorised port visits and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Advisor, British High Commission, said: "The visit of the Littoral Response Group attests to the UK’s capability and commitment to the Indo-Pacific. The sight of Royal Navy ships undergoing essential maintenance at an Indian shipyard is yet another example of the India-UK Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in practice.

"It also signals the continued growing importance of the strategic defence partnership between the UK and India as we build towards achieving the ambition set out in the India-UK 2030 Roadmap," he added.

Following the completion of its maintenance in India, 'the LRG will operate in the Indo Pacific to conduct training, exercises, and wider engagement with allies and partners', the British High Commission in Delhi said.

In January, Asianet Newsable reported that the UK will be sending a Littoral Response Group to the Indian Ocean this year. During India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to London, his UK counterpart Grant Shapps announced to send LRG in 2024 and Carrier Battle Group in 2025.

In the coming years, “the UK and India will also embark on more complex exercises between their respective militaries, building up to a landmark joint exercise to be conducted before the end of 2030, supporting shared goals of protecting critical trade routes and upholding the international rules-based system,” the British High Commission said.