Reliance Defence, US Navy announce master ship repair agreement

Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with US Navy.

Reliance Defence’s Pipavav shipyard has been qualified by the US Navy as an approved contractor for the Seventh Fleet vessels operating in the Asian-Pacific region.

Massive boost

For Reliance Defence, the MSRA could mean ₹15,000 crore ship repair contracts over next five years, a senior company official told

BusinessLine . A press statement issued by the company said that the Pipavav, is the first Shipyard in the country to have received a MSRA certification.

The fleet has about 100 vessels of different types including auxiliaries.

US agreement

Currently, the vessels of the Seventh Fleet visit Singapore or Japan for such repairs. Reliance Shipyard has been selected after a detailed site survey by the US government, the statement said.

The official said that the MSRA could happen because India and the US government had signed a logistics pact in August 2016 during Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s visit to the US.

Since the US Navy has qualified Pipavav shipyard it will also open up doors for the company to approach naval forces of other developed countries.

Repairs on the main body of the vessel would be carried at the shipyard, however engine overhaul will require support of the original equipment manufacturer, the official said.