New Delhi: The United Kingdom’s HMS Tamar, an offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Navy, docked at the strategic Andaman and Nicobar Islands Friday as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ship and her crew will undertake capability demonstrations and maritime exercises with the Indian Navy, the British High Commission said in a statement.
“The ship’s visit to India is an opportunity to further strengthen the shared maritime domain awareness effort, and underlines the UK’s and India’s intent to collaborate in the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific,” added the British High Commission.
Describing the opportunity to engage with the Indian Navy as “hugely valuable”, First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key said, “As threats to global peace and stability mount, the Royal Navy values deeply its relationship with the Indian Navy in a shared endeavour to confront those who challenge the rules-based system and ensure peace and prosperity on and from the sea.”
Lord Admiral Ben Key also added that the work HMS Tamar and her crew were doing with allies, partners and friends across the Indo-Pacific was “crucial”.
As part of an Integrated Review of the United Kingdom in 2021 — the most extensive analysis of the country’s security policy since the Cold War — the Indo-Pacific region has been given a specific focus. This focus has often been described as a ‘Tilt to the Indo-Pacific’ by Great Britain.
“HMS Tamar’s deployment is the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action; its visit is further evidence of the importance we attach to our defence and security relationship with India,” said Acting High-Commissioner to India Christina Scott.
The HMS Tamar is a river-class offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Navy that has been deployed in the Indo-Pacific since September 2021. It has been named after the Tamar river in England. It is the fourth of five new vessels that have been deployed to replace the existing river class vessels.
The HMS Tamar has a top speed of 20+ knots, can accommodate a maximum crew of 60, and has a range of 5,500 nautical miles.
As set out in the Integrated Review, there will now be two Royal Navy vessels permanently deployed in the Indo-Pacific region. The HMS Tamar is one of the two vessels that are supposed to be in the region. The other is the HMS Spey, which has also been deployed in the Indo-Pacific since September 2021.
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