The commissioning into the Indian Navy of the first of the eight LCU Mk.4 ships on order from GRSE, Kolkata on March 28, 2017 at Port Blair, marked the start of the augmentation of the Navy’s amphibious assault capability. Future acquisitions include four LPDs to be built indigenously, two each in the private and the public sector
Indian Navy is clearly and steadily building its amphibious warfare capabilities, with the latest induction of a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) L51 on March 28 at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The honours during the induction were done by Andaman and Nicobar Commander Vice Admiral Bimal Verma in the presence of Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition Vice Admiral Dilip M Deshpande.
The LCU was built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) as part of an eight-ship order for the Mk-IV class of LCUs that has been ordered with the g ove r n m e n t - ow n e d defence shipyard. The LCU commissioned as L51 is the first of these eight ships that GRSE is building for the Navy. Conceived and designed indigenously, the commissioning of the L51 adds a feather to the nation's 'Make in India' initiatives and indigenisation efforts in the field of warship design and construction by the Indian Navy and Indian shipyards.
With a displacement of 900 tonnes, the ship spans 62.8 metre in length and 11 metre in breadth. The ship is propelled by two MTU diesel engines of 1840 KW rating and can sustain speeds up to 15 knots. The ship has been built to assist in amphibious operations by carrying out beaching operations and has an endurance of 1500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 12 knots. The ship provides a draught of 1.7 metre and depth of 4 metres, and is equipped with a 350-KW diesel generator set.
The ship will also play a key role in carrying out maritime surveillance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for preventing anti-poaching, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, poaching and other illegal activities. It will also enhance the capabilities of the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lessons From Gaza And Lebanon
The ongoing war, loosely called the Gaza War, is actually being fought in two different loosely connected segments; against the Hamas with a spill off in the West Bank and East Jerusalem areas against Palestinian factions and against the Hezbollah in Lebanon with a spill off in Syria. Treating Israel-Hamas War and the Lebanon War as separate entities, RAJ MEHTA explains the lessons from these wars
POSITIVE STEPS TOWARDS POTENTIAL REGIONAL COOPERATION
It has been a whirlwind of diplomatic activity for India recently. India participated in both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO) summit that took place in Islamabad on October 15-16, and the 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia, from October 2224, 2024. These back-to-back summits within a short span of time underscore India's active role in shaping regional and global diplomacy, balancing national interests with multilateral cooperation
THE EAGLE'S EYE TEJAS MK-II RADAR PIERCES VEIL OF THE SKY
The Tejas Mk-II, featuring DRDO's GaN-based Uttam AESA radar, marks a major leap in India's defence, enhancing range, precision, and multi-target tracking capabilities, highlights GIRISH LINGANNA
PRIME MOVER
The indigenously developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) has received a boost with its first export order from the Kingdom of Morocco
TRANSFORMATIONAL INDUCTION
The GA-ASI MQ-9B will dramatically enhance the ISR and precision strike capabilities of the Indian armed forces
TACAN PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
Navigation systems have evolved significantly since the Viking era, with Tactical Air Navigation TACAN) now widely used for air and sea travel. Post-World War Il, reliable systems became essential for safety and efficiency, as highlighted by DR. SUJAN KUMAR SARASWATI, in this article on TACAN’s operational principles.
AIRBORNE TRACKER
Indigenous efforts towards AEW&C and AWACS platforms need to be stepped up even as international programmes extend the current state-of-the-art for such aircraft, highlights
AFFORDABLE LETHALITY THE INDIAN DILEMMA
India's defence dilemma is now being complicated by the lessons learnt in the Ukraine and Gaza wars because these conflicts are reshaping the way wars are fought in the modern world.
FROM IMPORTS TO SELF-RELIANCE IN ARMS
Self-reliance in Defence Production needs new ideas, new definitions _es and an appropriate methodology, argues AMIT COWSHISH
"THE INDIAN AIR FORCE IS WORKING HARD TO REMAIN A CREDIBLE AIR FORCE"
Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 21, 1984, Air Chief Marshal AMAR PREET SINGH PVSM AVSM took over as the 28th Air Chief of India on September 30, 2024.