INS Gharial

INS Gharial demonstrating unloading of relief material through its bow door onto the ramp.
History
India
Name	INS Gharial
Namesake	Gharial
Builder	Hindustan Shipyard Limited Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Commissioned	14 February 1997
Identification	Pennant number: L23
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class & type	Magar-class amphibious warfare vessel
Displacement	5665 tons (full load) [1]
Length	120 m
Beam	17.5 m
Draft	4 m
Ramps	Bow doors
Propulsion	2 × 8560 hp sustained diesel engine
Speed	15 knots
Range	3000 miles @ 14 knots
Boats & landing craft carried	4 LCVPs
Capacity	15 Tanks, 8 APCs [2]
Troops	500
Complement	136 (incl 16 officers)
Sensors & processing systems	1 BEL 1245 navigation radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	BEL Ajanta as intercept
Armament	4 × Bofors 40 mm/60 guns 2 × 122 mm multiple-barrel rocket launchers
Aircraft carried	1 Sea King
Aviation facilities	2 helicopter platforms

INS Gharial ^[a] is a Magar-class amphibious warfare vessel of the Indian Navy. ^[1]

Service history

On 8 November 2024, Indian Navy gifted two Solas Marine fast interceptor boat to Mozambique Navy which were carried onboard INS Gharial. The Fast Interceptor Crafts are capable of reaching speeds of 45 kn (83 km/h; 52 mph) and equipped with machine guns and bullet-resistant cabins. They will significantly enhance Mozambique's capability to address maritime threats, including terrorism and insurgency in Cabo Delgado region. ^{[3] [4]}

On 7 December 2025, INS Gharial, carrying 645 tons of relief material, was dispatched from Chennai and arrived in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka on 8 December. in support of India's Operation Sagar Bandhu, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission to support Sri Lanka following the devastating Cyclone Ditwah. One day earlier, three Mk. IV LCUs including LCU 51, LCU 54 and LCU 57, transferred 352 tons of relief material, from Tuticorin to Colombo, Sri Lanka. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

References

1. Gharial is a long-snouted, fish-eating crocodilian native to the Indian subcontinent

1. "Surface Ships of Indian Navy". Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
2. "Magar Class - Bharat Rakshak :: Indian Navy".
3. "Indian Navy gifts two Fast Interceptor Crafts to Mozambique". India Today. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
4. "HANDING OVER TWO INTERCEPTORS TO MOZAMBIQUE AT NACALA". PIB . 9 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
5. "Operation Sagar Bandhu continues providing Emergency HADR Support to Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah" (Press release). Indian Ministry of External Affairs. 9 December 2025. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
6. "Operation Sagar Bandhu - Indian Navy deploys four more warships to deliver 1000 tons of HADR material to Sri Lanka" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
7. Trivedi, Saurabh (8 December 2025). "India ramps up humanitarian efforts in Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 9 December 2025.