India seeks to expand navy’s reach with 4 amphibious warships

India’s planned acquisition of four large amphibious warships would strengthen its ability to support naval logistics and humanitarian missions across the Indian Ocean, with security experts saying their value depends on how the navy could effectively utilise them during a crisis.

The Indian Navy has invited bids for four landing platform docks (LPDs), each with a displacement of more than 30,000 tonnes. Indian Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar said at a media briefing on Monday that a request for proposal had been issued to shortlisted shipyards the previous week.

The four LPDs will be built in India, with their electric propulsion systems being developed under an India–UK defence partnership. The latter was announced during a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then UK prime minister Keir Starmer in Mumbai in October last year.

With a length of 220 metres each, the ships are estimated to cost nearly US$5.3 billion in total and can accommodate up to 900 fully equipped army personnel, vehicles, tanks and artillery. They will feature specialised landing craft to ferry troops and equipment ashore, two heavy-lift helicopters and 12 helicopters for special operations, as well as onboard workshop facilities.