Indian Navy To Acquire Four Landing Platform Dock Ships

The Indian Navy recently put out to tender a contract for the domestic construction of four landing platform dock (LPD) ships at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion U.S., according to my colleagues at Defense News.

Two of the ships will be built in a private shipyard depending on which firm wins the contract,

while the other two will be built by the state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL). Each of the competing yards has teamed up with an international builder, which includes Spain’s Navantia and DCNS of France, according to the report.

Estimated to be in the range of 20,000 tons, the vessels, once built, will grant the IN a modernized amphibious lift capability that had previously been lacking considering the range of the Indian Navy’s area of responsibility. It is expected that the ships will be no more than 215 metres in length, and will feature well decks, as the tender specifies that they should be able to operate traditional and air-cushion landing craft, the report noted.