NEW DELHI: In a significant step towards strengthening military ties with India the UK’s Littoral Response Group (LRG) arrived in Chennai on Tuesday as the first engagement of its deployment to the Indian Pacific region. These are part of the plans to raise the complexity of the exercises.In a statement British High Commission said, “The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus and RFA Lyme Bay conducted maritime exercises with the Indian Navy as they entered the Arabian Sea and will now undergo essential maintenance at the Larsen & Toubro shipyard in Kattupalli near Chennai.”This is the first time a Royal Navy vessel will undergo maintenance at an Indian shipyard – a direct result of the logistics-sharing agreement signed between the UK and India in 2022.Brigadier Nick Sawyer, Defence Advisor, British High Commission, said, “The visit of the Littoral Response Group attests to the UK’s capability and commitment to the Indo Pacific. The sight of Royal Navy ships undergoing essential maintenance at an Indian shipyard is yet another example of the India-UK Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in practice. It also signals the continued growing importance of the strategic defence partnership between the UK and India as we build towards achieving the ambition set out in the India-UK 2030 Roadmap.” Following the completion of its maintenance in India, the LRG will operate in the Indo Pacific to conduct training, exercises, and wider engagement with allies and partners.As reported by this Newspaper in January, amidst the rising defence interactions with India, the United Kingdom took the decision to send its warships for a Maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean.
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