India and UK Discuss Future of Electric Propulsion in Naval Vessels

India and the United Kingdom recently engaged in discussions about the future of electric propulsion in naval vessels during the second meeting of the India-UK Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership Joint Working Group. The meeting, held in New Delhi, was co-chaired by Rajeev Prakash, Joint Secretary (Naval Systems) at the Department of Defence Production, and Rear Admiral Steve McCarthy, Director of Ships Operations and Capability Integration at Defence Equipment & Support.

The roots of this collaboration trace back to the 2022 Defence Expo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where organizations from both Indian and UK defense industries joined forces to establish a joint working group for enhanced cooperation. Following the expo, the Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership emerged, with a specific focus on aiding India in developing maritime electric-propulsion technology for its future warships.

Presently, India naval warships lack electric propulsion systems, but there is a contemplation within the Indian Navy to incorporate them into upcoming vessels. The recent meeting saw discussions between British and Indian officials on various aspects of the Electric Propulsion Partnership, including the finalization of the Statement of Technical Requirements (SOTR), Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) procedures, maintenance, Manning Philosophy, and System Integration requirements.

A social media post by the UK Defence in India, formerly on Twitter, emphasized the collaborative progress, stating, "Progress through partnership with people and safety at its heart and huge capability opportunity for the @indiannavy. Exciting times ahead for our marine engineers."

Electric propulsion involves the use of electrical power to drive propeller blades for propulsion. The development of electric propulsion can have far-reaching effects on military operations, such as increasing electric power availability, reducing the carbon footprint, and enhancing ship navigation economy.

India and the UK have a longstanding history of multifaceted cooperation in the defense sector, with institutionalized defense dialogues at the Defence secretary level. Regular exchanges between the Indian and UK armies, including officer training and joint exercises, contribute to the strength of this collaboration.

The 7th edition of AJEYA WARRIOR-23, a joint military exercise between India and the United Kingdom, was conducted in the UK between April and May of the current year. This exercise, alternately held in the UK and India, aims to build positive military relations, share best practices, and enhance the ability to operate together in various scenarios. Soldiers from the 2 Royal Gorkha Rifles in the UK and the BIHAR Regiment in the Indian Army participated, fostering inter-operability, camaraderie, and friendship between the two armies.