17 July 2024

India To “Boost” US Navy’s Fighting Capabilities; USN Warships To Be Repaired In India Amid Chinese Threats

Ritu Sharma

So far, only the non-commissioned ships of the US Navy (recognized by the prefix USN) have been repaired at the Indian shipyard. Still, the two partners are also contemplating whether the commissioned warships of the US Navy (USS) can be refurbished at the port.

In a two-day Defense News Conclave organized by the US consulate in Kolkata and Indian think tank CUTS International, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti expressed hopes that relations between the two countries would improve to the point where US warships would come to India for repair.

With an eye on China in the Indo-Pacific, the US has been working on making India a major hub for the repair and maintenance of the US Navy warships. So far, the Auxiliary ships have undergone maintenance; in the future, destroyers, amphibious warships, and other big ships will also come to India for refurbishment. Nuclear-powered ships, like aircraft carriers and submarines, are not part of this vision.

US warships are getting fewer steaming hours because of growing maintenance delays and costs. This has been a troubling trend as the US struggles to keep pace with China’s growing fleet and faces other adversaries at sea, including Russia.

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