Leveraging a logistics agreement with India, the UK expands its military collaborations, particularly in the maritime realm.
The United Kingdom is capitalising on a logistics support agreement inked with India to amplify military engagements, especially in the maritime domain, as part of its efforts to bolster capabilities and deployments in the Indo-Pacific region. In a significant development, a UK warship underwent essential maintenance at Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) shipyard in Kattupalli during the visit of a Royal Navy Littoral Response Group-South (LRG-S) to India in April.
Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Advisor at the UK High Commission in India, highlighted the significance of the logistics-sharing pact, enabling joint training, exercises, port visits, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations between the two nations’ armed forces. This agreement has substantially boosted engagements between the UK and Indian armed forces, facilitating longer deployments in the region and showcasing the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action, aligned with India’s strategic interests.
The LRG(S), equipped with versatile amphibious capabilities, comprises ships like RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay, along with Royal Marines strike forces. The logistics pact has further strengthened interoperability, with Royal Navy ships receiving prompt spare parts from Indian shipyards during deployments, demonstrating growing naval cooperation.
Moreover, the agreement extends beyond maritime engagements, benefiting Royal Air Force flights with logistics halts in India, fostering exchanges of best practices and experiences between the air forces. The UK’s collaboration with India underscores a broader trend of enhanced military cooperation, as evidenced by similar logistics agreements signed by India with other nations, including the US.
