Indian Navy amphibious vessel acquisition project

Last updated

Class overview
OperatorsNaval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy
Preceded by INS Jalashwa (L41)
Planned4 [1]
General characteristics
Type Landing Platform Dock (LPD)
Displacement30,000–40,000 t (30,000–39,000 long tons; 33,000–44,000 short tons)
Length200 m (660 ft)
Propulsion Integrated electric propulsion (IEP)
Speed≥ 20 knots (37 km/h) (Maximum) 14–16 knots (26–30 km/h) (Cruising Speed)
Range10,000  nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) (At economic speed)
Endurance≥ 45 days (In terms of machinery/fuel) 60 days (In terms of logistics support for troops)
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

The procurement of Landing Platform Docks (LPD) by the Indian Navy, formerly known as the "Multi-Role Support Vessel Program" (MRSV) - is an initiative of the Indian Navy (IN) to procure a series of landing platform docks, specific vessels dedicated to amphibious warfare, as part of the service's strategy to augment its capabilities of amphibious warfare, disaster-response, humanitarian assistance and auxiliary duties. [2]

Contents

India had long sought to procure amphibious warfare vessels, including landing platform docks; multiple initiatives in procuring specified vessels of the aforementioned type were initiated as early as 2009. [3] However, such measures have been frequently delayed, on account of varying reasons. [4]

The IN currently operates one landing platform dock - INS Jalashwa, an ex-Austin-class amphibious transport dock, which was purchased from the United States Navy (USN) in 2007. [5]

History

Origins

INS Jalashwa - the IN's sole operational landing platform dock, seen here in 2020. INS Jalashwa departs Maldives.jpg
INS Jalashwa - the IN's sole operational landing platform dock, seen here in 2020.

Since 2004, the IN had sought to procure amphibious warfare vessels to augment its capabilities of amphibious warfare, disaster-response management and evacuation of civilians and personnel. [6]

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Indian Armed Forces initiated one of the largest Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in its history; the navy quickly dispatched Indian naval vessels to send supplies to multiple countries that had been affected by the tsunami, namely, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives. [7] However, the experience unraveled a significant drawback - India's naval forces barely possessed the capability to undertake amphibious transport operations nor humanitarian assistance operations on a large scale, although it operated landing tank crafts, which were capable of undertaking amphibious operations, albeit at a limited capacity. [8] [9]

With the revelation of the issue, India quickly sought to procure amphibious vessels capable of tackling the issues of amphibious warfare and disaster response management. [10] In 2007, the Indian government purchased the USS Trenton, a decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock from the United States Navy (USN) and re-commissioned it as the INS Jalashwa. [11] Since its re-commissioning, Jalashwa executed numerous disaster-response and humanitarian-relief operations, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. [12] [13] [14]

In addition Jalashwa, India was also offered the USS Nashville, another Austin-class vessel; however, the purchase was never made. [15] [16]

"Multi-Role Support Vessel" Initiative (MRSV)

In 2011, the IN established the "Multi-Role Support Vessel" Program (MSRV), an initiative to acquire four landing platform docks from a foreign naval firm. [17] Under the initiative, India issued a Request For Information (RFI) to multiple foreign naval firms, under the "Buy and Make (Indian)" category of India's 2011 defense acquisition regulations. [18]

In 2013, the service issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) to four domestic shipbuilders - L&T Shipbuilding (L&T), ABG Shipyard (ABG), Pipavav Shipyard Limited (RDEL) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL). [19] Under this scheme, the winner of the bid would be requested to build two landing platform docks, while the remaining two were to be built by the state-owned HSL. [20]

Under this program, which was then worth USD $2.65 billion, the three private shipyards tied up with different foreign conglomerates - L&T allied with the Spanish-based Navantia, RDEL allied with the Frech-based DCNS (now Naval Group), while ABG tied with the American-based Alion. [21] However, ABG suffered from severe financial constraints and was deeply in debt; the company was later disqualified from the tender on account of its financial woes. [22] [23] L&T and RDEL were the only shipyards which met the technical and financial eligibility criteria in the tender; however, RDEL too suffered from increasing financial debts - which made it unsuitable for participating in the tender; this left L&T as the only prospective vendor in the bid. [24]

In 2017, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the arms acquisition body of India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), approved the procurement of the four vessels. [25] Concurrently, both L&T and RDEL submitted revised commercial bids to build all the four vessels, in stark contrast to the specifications of the 2013 tender, which regulated that the selected private shipyard must build only two vessels. [26]

The competition narrowed down to two contenders - an alliance of L&T-Navantia offering the Juan Carlos I-class amphibious assault vessel and another alliance of RDEL-DCNS offering the Mistral-class amphibious assault vessel. [27] [28] [29]

Cancellation

From its inception in 2013 till 2020, the MRSV program underwent seven extensions and one re-submission of bids. [30]

In 2019, after a string of delays in the project, the IN approached the MoD to cancel the tender, then worth USD $3 billion. [31] With ABG disqualified from competing and RDEL on the brink of bankruptcy, L&T prevailed as the only qualified contender capable of handling the project; nonetheless, the MoD favored several suggestions of scrapping the tender, in order to circumvent a "single-vendor situation". [32]

In September 2020, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) criticized the IN over its failure to proceed with the project and lambasted the project's long-period of inactivity. [33] [34] Later that month, the MoD scrapped the tender, then worth INR ₹20,000 crore (US$3 billion), given the tender's prolonged inactivity and lack of action. [35] With the termination of the contract, the IN reportedly planned to initiate a fresh bidding process for the acquisition of a new fleet of landing platform docks, with new qualitative requirements. [36] [37]

In November 2020, the IN revised its original plan of purchasing four landing platform docks to just two, citing severe budgetary constraints and inadequate funding. [38]

Revival

In August 2021, the MoD issued a new RFI for the procurement of four landing platform docks to domestic Indian shipyards, under guidelines of its "Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020" (DAP-2020). [39] According to the details of the RFI, the first vessel built should be ready for delivery within 60 months of the contract being signed, while the remaining three should be delivered at one-year intervals. [40] Furthere specifications of the RFI dictated that the competing Indian shipyards must seek transfer-of-technology (TOT) from a foreign naval shipbuilder, and that the four prescribed vessels must be built in India, with a proportion of indigenous content. [41]

Planned capabilities

Potential contenders

The Mistral-class amphibious assault vessel, designed by Naval Group. BPC Dixmude.jpg
The Mistral-class amphibious assault vessel, designed by Naval Group.
The Juan Carlos I-class amphibious assault vessel, designed by Navantia. HMAS Canberra with a USAF MH-60 during Talisman Sabre 2021.jpg
The Juan Carlos I-class amphibious assault vessel, designed by Navantia.

According to multiple sources, the following Indian shipyards may participate in the tender -

Potential shipyards

Prospective designs

The Trieste-class landing helicopter dock, designed by Fincantieri. LHD Trieste - Ivan Guida.jpg
The Trieste-class landing helicopter dock, designed by Fincantieri.
A model of the Project 23900 amphibious assault vessel, designed by JSC Zelenodolsk Design Bureau. Mock amphibious assault ship of the surf on <<Army 2015>> 1.JPG
A model of the Project 23900 amphibious assault vessel, designed by JSC Zelenodolsk Design Bureau.
The Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship, designed by Hanjin Heavy Industries. haegun dogdoham (7438321572).jpg
The Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship, designed by Hanjin Heavy Industries.

According to multiple sources, the following naval designs may be offered in the tender -

See also

Other amphibious vessels operated by the Indian Navy

Other references to the Indian Navy

Related Research Articles

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References

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  14. ↑ "INS Jalashwa arrives in Comoros with 1,000 metric tonne rice". aninews.in. 14 March 2021.
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  58. ↑ "LHD Trieste class". fincantieri.com.
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  60. ↑ "Russian Navy's Project 23900 LHDS Taking Shape in Kerch". navalpost.com. 2 March 2021.
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  62. ↑ "Dokdo Class Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH)". naval-technology.com. 20 July 2011.
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