Indian Navy Exploring Homegrown Designs for Upcoming 200m Landing Platform Docks with 900 Troops Capacity

In a move to enhance its amphibious capabilities, the Indian Navy is embarking on a significant project to construct Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) domestically.

This initiative follows a Request for Information (RFI) released in 2021, which has garnered interest from prominent Indian shipyards, including Cochin Shipyards Ltd (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE).

Furthermore, L&T Shipbuilding and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) have also proposed designs based on collaborations with international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

These envisioned LPDs will be veritable behemoths, each capable of carrying a crew of 540 sailors and accommodating up to 900 troops. Measuring approximately 200 meters in length and displacing up to 8 meters of water when fully loaded, these vessels are designed for both capacity and endurance.

The Navy desires a cruising speed of 14 to 16 knots, coupled with a remarkable range of 10,000 nautical miles at economical speed, facilitating extended deployments.

A hallmark of the LPDs will be their emphasis on electric propulsion. The RFI mandates an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion or Hybrid Propulsion system, reflecting the Navy’s commitment to modern, environmentally friendly, and efficient technologies.

Far from being passive carriers, these LPDs will pack a offensive punch. The Navy envisions them equipped with 32 Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (VLSRSAM) for air defence and 16 anti-ship missiles for offensive capabilities.

Additionally, they will feature a Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) with electro-optical fire control, heavy machine guns with stabilized mounts, and medium machine guns. The possibility of incorporating directed energy weapons as a future replacement for CIWS further underscores their cutting-edge nature.

Situational awareness will be paramount, achieved through a comprehensive sensor suite that includes a combined air and surface surveillance radar, a 3D air surveillance radar, a surface surveillance radar, electronic warfare support systems, and an electro-optical/infrared search and track system.

A unique aspect of the design is the "through deck" configuration, essentially transforming these vessels into Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs). This configuration enables seamless flight operations directly from the hangar to the landing deck.

The envisioned air complement is noteworthy, comprising at least two heavy lift helicopters, 12 special operations helicopters, and two Naval Ship-borne Unmanned Aerial Systems (NSUAS).

The design facilitates simultaneous operations of at least four special operations helicopters, with the potential for NSUAS integration. The hangar will house at least 12 special operations helicopters and two NSUAS, while the deck will provide space for two heavy lift helicopters with folded blades. The design prioritizes flexibility by enabling the operation of heavy lift helicopters from the reinforced forward deck area.

By choosing to build these LPDs domestically, the Indian Navy not only bolsters its amphibious warfare capabilities but also champions the growth of domestic shipbuilding expertise. This project serves as a testament to India's commitment to self-reliance in defence manufacturing and its ambition to become a leading player in the global maritime arena.

 

[Rajesh]

Designing an lhd can be done indigenously but it will take minimum 1-2 years time . Rather it would have been good if they mentioned that the Indian shipyard should have a design and own the ip and 70-80 percent indigenous content either it is their or with an OEM . The French or Spanish vessel can be a participant if they accept the condition and can be increased or decreased in size. The Spanish vessel has a ski jump ramp allowing for drones and aircraft launch if we need one in the future.

 

[SK]

Indigenous design & development of LHDs can greatly boost India's Amphibious Warfare capabilities.

Indian-Govt should consider to develop an Expeditionary Amphibious Marine force under IN's authority equivalent to UK's Royal Marines, Russia's Naval Infantry.

This Indian-Marine force will work in:-
(1) Humanitarian & Peacekeeping Operations during Peaceful times.
(2) Coastal Expeditions & Island protections during Warfare.
(3) Protection of Indian Naval Bases & Installations

This Indian Marine force can also act as a talent pool for MARCOS.

Similarly, a Ground/Infantry force should be created under the authority of Indian Coast Guards to be equal to US-Coast Guards "Deployable Specialized Forces". This Ground/Infantry force can also be used to create Specialized Counter-Terrorism & Trafficking teams as well as for Military base & Installation protections.

Indian Airforce should also needs to consider to develop a dedicated Infantry for:-
(1) Force Protection
(2) Talent pool for GARUD Commando Units

I think it's time to slowly & steadily to limit DSC only to Indian-Army & other important Installations.

 

[Shrujanam Syama]

1. The reason we have not always sent Jalashwa to evacuate citizens from the Middle East is because Jalashwa has very little self-defence capability for an active war zone. Sending her there would have involved sending an escort along, and it was found that said escorting ships alone could conduct the evacuations. Oh, and by the way, Jalashwa was deployed to rescue Indians from Libya in 2011, so your point falls flat there.

2. LPDs carry armoured vehicles and the like, but they also carry large-ish numbers of helicopters, and can carry a lot of relief material. Both of those are crucial for HADR operations. Weight capacity can be utilised in more ways than one.

3. LPDs are fundamentally support ships. As a result, you need an active defensive escort for them in wartime. Think of them as multi-purpose cargo ships, or an analogue to fleet replenishment ships.

4. LPDs have no advanced equipment? Depends on how you define equipment as advanced or primitive, but LPDs carry a fair bit of equipment for what is halfway between a warship and an auxiliary ship.

5. Most work of the LPDs is done by helicopters in certain scenarios, just as most work of carriers is done by aircraft flying off them, and just as most work of submarines is done by the torpedoes and missiles fired from them. By that logic, should we just assume all warships are useless, since it is the shell or the missile or the torpedo that does work in a war?

6. Jalashwa is plenty useful for HADR operations, and as an amphibious force flagship for exercises. She might have been an experimental buy from that perspective, but she has proven to be useful in more ways than one.

7. Age is very much relevant for a ship. Ship hulls and machinery don't last forever, and there is a point after which keeping a ship in service requires either re-plating the hull, or essentially replacing the machinery, or both. For any ship, either of the aforementioned two requirements is almost always financially infeasible. The ship isn't primitive in technology; she is just old.

8. Jalashwa is approaching the point where her structural integrity will start to go down to dangerous levels in a few years, not to mention the fact that her steam turbines and boilers are slowly being worn out. You may not like it, but Jalashwa will need replacement towards the end of the decade or in the early parts of the next decade.

I agree with some of your points:

1) Yes, LPD can be used to carry much larger number of choppers than other ships
2) LPDs are support ships & most active work is done by helicopters
3) Every ship, even primitive cargo ships have an end life

But there are some disagreements:

1) LPDs are not useful for direct engagement in wars as the helicopters are not comparable to fighter planes. Helicopters are slow are much easier to take down even by boats armed with MANPADS. So, LPDs will have to limit itself to supply & logistics role only

2) LPDs are not effective for rescue operations. They can be used for rescue but there are much cheaper options like cargo ships, supply ships which have much higher space and room for carrying supplies and people. Helicopter alone is not of much use for Indian context. Within India, India can mobilise helicopters by land route and does not need LPD while in external areas, India generally uses diplomatic power to rescue its people and helicopters hardly stand any chance if it is attacked by hostile forces.

3) LPDs have no advanced equipments. It is not subjective opinion. LPDs have only as much equipment as cargo ships. It can be additionally fitted with guns and cannons but even cargo ships can be fitted with these guns as these are modular, plug and play weapons. The inbuilt equipments like radars, SONAR, ASW equipments, mining equipments, mapping equipments. airborne command, control room based on SATCOM integration etc are not available on LPDs.

 

[Anant]

Then what you blame? American junk has nothing t do it aged with antiquated technology how can you blame America. Shamelessness knows no bonds. White elephant of anglo's that near 60 year old junk status acceptable and proud of junk, but Russian or Indian 30 years must be retired.

Do you see how unfair you are being? There is nothing along the lines of "Western ships could be kept around for 60 years while Russian or Indian ships should be decommissioned after 30 years." Do not spread nonsense like that.

Accidents like the one that happened on Jalashwa are unfortunately disturbingly uncommon in the Indian Navy. That holds for any ships. If Jalashwa had an accident, so did one of the Rajput-class (Soviet origin ships), and so did Sindhurakshak, and so did Betwa (an Indian-origin ship), and so on. Blame for those things is solely on India.

Every ship has a lifespan, and when that lifespan's end is approaching, decisions are made as to whether the ship is needed, and whether its life can be extended through refits. The origin of the ship has nothing to do with it.

Need I remind you that we purchased Jalashwa with the idea of using her sparsely for 25 or so years, which means she still has 8-ish years left on her? Need I also remind you that the Rajput-class were purchased with a proposed 35 year life, but all ships served more than that, serving for 40, 42+, 36, 38+, and 36+ years respectively (three of the ships still serving)?

A ship has a life, and it serves for that life and slightly beyond, multiple factors permitting. Don't try to stir up nonsense in such a simple fact. The origin of a ship has nothing to do with it.