The Royal Navy’s offshore patrol ship HMS Tamar docked on Friday at the strategic Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ship and its crew will work with the Indian Navy to show off their skills and do maritime exercises, the British High Commission said in a statement.
The British High Commission said, “The ship’s visit to India is an opportunity to strengthen the shared maritime domain awareness effort. It also shows that the UK and India want to work together in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.”
First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key called the chance to work with the Indian Navy “hugely valuable.” He said, “As threats to global peace and stability grow, the Royal Navy deeply values its relationship with the Indian Navy in a shared effort to fight those who challenge the rules-based system and make sure peace and prosperity on and from the sea.”
Lord Admiral Ben Key also said that the work the crew of the HMS Tamar was doing in the Indo-Pacific with allies, partners, and friends was “crucial.”
As part of an Integrated Review of the United Kingdom in 2021, which is the most in-depth look at the country’s security policy since the end of the Cold War, the Indo-Pacific region is getting a lot of attention. This shift in attention has been called a “Tilt to the Indo-Pacific” by Britain.
“HMS Tamar’s deployment is part of the UK’s strategy to focus on the Indo-Pacific region,” said Acting High Commissioner to India Christina Scott. “Its visit is another sign of how important we think our defence and security relationship with India is.”
The HMS Tamar is a river-class offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Navy. Since September 2021, it has been in the Indo-Pacific. Its name comes from the river Tamar in England. It is the fourth of five new ships that have been put into service to replace the river class ships that were already there.
The HMS Tamar can go faster than 20 knots, can hold up to 60 crew members, and can travel 5,500 nautical miles.
As stated in the Integrated Review, the Royal Navy will now have two ships permanently stationed in the Indo-Pacific. One of the two ships that are meant to be in the area is the HMS Tamar. The other is the HMS Spey, which has also been in the Indo-Pacific since September 2021.
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