MSC rescue and salvage vessel at India’s L&T Shipyard for repairs
Written by Nick Blenkey
L to R: U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin, U.S. Embassy New Delhi’s Office of Defense Cooperation chief Capt. Michael L. Farmer, USNS Salvor’s captain Capt. Andrew MacLeod, L&T Defense Business Executive Vice President and Head A.T. Ramchandani, and L&T Vice President K.S. Nathan onboard USNS Salvor at Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Kattupalli Shipyard
The Military Sealift Command’s rescue and salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52) arrived at Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T Shipyard), in Kattupalli near Chennai, India, for repairs on Sunday, July 9, 2023. It is the third MSC ship to visit L&T Shipyard for voyage repairs, after USNS Charles Drew and USNS Matthew Perry, but the first to arrive since the yard signed a five-year Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with the U.S. Navy.
The USNS Salvor was welcomed with a ceremony held at the shipyard on Monday, July 10, which was attended by the U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin, U.S. Embassy New Delhi’s Office of Defense Cooperation chief Capt. Michael L. Farmer, L&T Defense business executive vice president and head A.T. Ramchandani, senior U.S. Embassy officials, and L&T leadership.
“This Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) is yet another milestone in our ever-expanding U.S.-India partnership,” said Consul General Ravin. “This historic agreement is a direct outcome of the 2022 U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and demonstrates U.S. commitment to utilize repair facilities on a regular basis at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli. This agreement will serve to strengthen our two nations’ strategic partnership and contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Commissioned in 1986, the 255-foot USNS Salvor is a is a Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship rescue and salvage ship and is used as a platform to support recovery missions. It is one of only two rescue and salvage vessels in the MSC inventory and the only ship of its kind in the Far East. It serves as an element of the U.S. Navy’s Combat Logistics Support Force and provides rescue and salvage services to the fleet at sea.
The two Safeguard-class vessels are among those set to be replaced by the Navy’s new T-ATS towing salvage and rescue ships.
