APCL supports RFA’s first ever maintenance work at Indian shipyard..

APCL has successfully supported groundbreaking maintenance work on two RFA vessels in India, all as part of its in-service support contract with the Ministry of Defence.

RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay recently conducted successful maritime exercises with the Indian Navy in the Arabian sea as part of the Littoral Response Group (South) deployment.

APCL company A&P Group has a longstanding contract to provide through-life support to Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels at its facility in Falmouth.

But when both ships required essential maintenance while far from the UK, APCL’s network of strategic partnerships and global reach meant they were able to dock at Larsen & Toubro’s Kattupalli Shipyard in India.

It was the first time a Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel has undergone maintenance at an Indian shipyard - a direct result of the logistics-sharing agreement signed between the UK and India in 2022.

While there, RFA Argus was required to undertake an assisted maintenance period, while Lyme Bay was scheduled to complete a self maintenance period. The combined work included co-ordination and delivery of more than 150 separate work items - all successfully overseen by A&P Group’s fleet time support team and carried out by Larsen and Turbro’s marine engineers.

APCL Group’s Director of Defence Matt Weetch, said: “Through our cluster contracts at A&P Group Limited and Cammell Laird Ship Builders and Ship Repairers, APCL Group has delivered comprehensive through-life support to the entire RFA Fleet since 2008, and it’s something we’re immensely proud of.”

APCL’s strategic global partnerships mean vessels can be serviced at various locations around the world without having to return to the UK. Its own experts and project teams are on hand to oversee the work at facilities closer to where the vessels are deployed. A similar arrangement saw work recently carried out on HMS Scott at GIbdock in Gibraltar, also under the supervision and with the support of A&P Group Ltd.

Matt added: “As the Royal Navy expands its global reach so do APCL.”

“These ships enable the long-range capabilities of the Royal Navy and it’s essential they are maintained to achieve maximum operational availability. Our unique knowledge of these vessels underpins the availability of not just the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, but in turn the Royal Naval fleet.”