During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the then US President Richard Nixon ordered the US Navy's seventh fleet, led by the USS Enterprise nuclear powered aircraft carrier into Bay of Bengal to threaten India to withdraw its offensive in what was then East Pakistan. Of course India was having none of it and asked friend Soviet Union for help. The Soviet Navy dispatched nuclear submarines and other surface ships to trail the Seventh Fleet Task Force 74.
But how times change. Now the ships of the same seventh fleet deal will undergo maintenance and repairs at Gujarat's Pipavav shipyard.?
Reliance Defence has announced an agreement with the US Navy for repairs and servicing of warships at the Pipavav shipyard in Gujarat. The agreement will see warships from the US Navy's Seventh Fleet visiting the Indian facility for complex repair and alteration works.?
Reuetrs/representational image
¡°Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra) controlled Reliance Defence and Engineering (RDEL) has signed master ship repair agreement (MSRA) with the US Navy. In January this year, Reliance Shipyard was qualified by the US Navy as an approved contractor to perform complex repair and alternation services for its Seventh Fleet vessels operating in the region,¡± a press release by the company stated.?
Chindits/representational image
Sources said that the business expectations of the Indian company is in excess of Rs 15,000 crore in revenue over the next five years. The Indian shipyard is likely to handle various types of ships ¡ª front line warships, supply vessels and patrol vessels ¡ª that are part of the Seventh Fleet.?
At present the US Navy uses yards in Singapore and Japan for these works. The company expects major work after the signing of the logistics exchange memorandum of agreement (LEMOA) in August last year that enables either side to use facilities for refuelling and replenishment.
Reuetrs/representational image
Reliance Shipyard says it is the first in the country to receive MSRA certification to undertake servicing and repairing works for the vessels of Seventh Fleet. ¡°Reliance Shipyard has been selected after a detailed site survey by the US government representatives in end October 2016,¡± the company statement said.