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

India plans to acquire four landing platform docks, or LPDs. Each ship will displace more than 30,000 tonnes and measure 220 metres. Their main value is flexibility. They can move military forces, support naval logistics, evacuate civilians and assist humanitarian missions. The navy has invited bids from shortlisted shipyards.

All four ships will be built in India. Their electric propulsion systems will be developed through an India–UK defence partnership. That partnership was announced during a meeting between Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer in Mumbai last October. The ships will be among India’s largest locally built combat vessels.

The programme has faced earlier delays. A 2011 proposal stalled over accounting issues, while a 2013 tender was scrapped in 2020 after requirements changed. Experts say India must make faster, more disciplined decisions to prevent new delays in contracting and construction.

A landing platform dock is a large naval ship built to transport forces and equipment close to a coastline. It combines storage, vehicle space, helicopter operations and landing-craft facilities. This makes it useful for military deployments, evacuations, disaster relief and logistics. Unlike a simple transport ship, it can support operations after troops reach land.

The planned Indian LPDs will accommodate up to 900 fully equipped army personnel, along with vehicles, tanks and artillery. Specialised landing craft will ferry those people and machines from the ship to shore. Helicopters can also move personnel and supplies, while onboard workshops help maintain equipment during extended missions.

The article describes these ships as especially valuable for support and humanitarian work. Walter Ladwig said their landing craft, helicopter decks and medical facilities could help during natural disasters and emergencies. Their effectiveness would still depend on protection from other naval assets.

The planned LPDs will be substantial warships. Each will displace more than 30,000 tonnes and measure 220 metres. They will carry up to 900 fully equipped army personnel, plus vehicles, tanks and artillery. This combination gives India a mobile platform for moving large forces and supplies across distant waters.

Their capabilities extend beyond transport. Each ship will have specialised landing craft, two heavy-lift helicopters and 12 helicopters for special operations. Onboard workshops will support equipment maintenance. These features allow the ships to move forces, deliver supplies, support evacuations and respond to emergencies without relying entirely on shore facilities.

The four ships are estimated to cost nearly US$5.3 billion in total. They will be the second-largest India-made combat ships after the 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The navy has issued a request for proposals, but past tenders were delayed or cancelled, creating a risk to the programme’s schedule.

Four LPDs would give India a much broader crisis-response capability. The ships could transport and sustain troops, evacuate civilians, deploy peacekeepers and provide logistical support to friendly states. Their medical facilities, helicopter decks and landing craft would also support natural-disaster relief and other emergencies across the Indian Ocean.

Walter Ladwig said one LPD cannot maintain a continuous amphibious operation. With four, one ship could support that operation while the other three remained on standby for different missions. The ships’ workshops, helicopters and landing craft would help move people, equipment and supplies quickly, even when shore infrastructure was damaged or unavailable.

The navy already operates one LPD, INS Jalashwa, acquired from the United States. The planned fleet would improve reach and readiness, but the ships would still need protection from submarines, drones and anti-ship missiles. Their practical value will therefore depend on how effectively India combines them with other naval forces.

The ships matter because India must protect and support distant island territories. C. Uday Bhaskar identified the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep as important examples. LPDs could move personnel, vehicles, artillery and supplies to these outposts, strengthening India’s ability to respond when local infrastructure or existing forces are insufficient.

Their reach would extend across the Indian Ocean, from the east coast of Africa to Southeast Asia. Landing craft could deliver equipment ashore, while helicopters could move personnel and supplies quickly. Medical facilities and workshops would make the ships useful during humanitarian missions, including emergencies like the December 2004 tsunami response.

The ships also fit India’s changing security environment. Atul Kumar linked them to expanding commercial and security infrastructure around the islands and to China’s growing naval power. He called four multirole ships the bare minimum for a credible deterrent, but delays in contracts and shipyard work remain serious obstacles.

An LPD is large and versatile, but its size also makes it an important target. The article says modern conflicts could expose these ships to submarines, drones and anti-ship missiles. An LPD’s main strengths are transport, helicopters, landing craft and support facilities, not independently defeating every threat around it.

Other naval forces provide the protection and awareness that an LPD needs. Escorts can help detect or deter submarines, defend against missile attacks and respond to aerial or drone threats. The LPD can then concentrate on moving troops, vehicles and supplies, landing equipment, supporting helicopters and treating casualties.

This support determines whether the ships can operate safely during a crisis. Walter Ladwig said the LPDs would require substantial assistance from other naval assets. Their value therefore depends not only on tonnage or onboard capacity, but also on India’s ability to organise a coordinated naval force around them.

Sea control from an aircraft carrier means using carrier-based aircraft to influence and protect a large area of ocean and nearby airspace. The carrier is a mobile airfield. Its aircraft can conduct operations at distance, while the ship remains offshore. The source identifies INS Vikrant as India’s 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier.

An LPD performs a different core task. It carries army personnel, vehicles, tanks and artillery, then moves them from sea to shore using specialised landing craft and helicopters. Its purpose is to deliver and sustain forces on land. The planned ships can also evacuate civilians, support peacekeepers and conduct humanitarian missions.

These capabilities can complement each other, but they are not interchangeable. An aircraft carrier provides aviation-based power at sea, while an LPD supports the movement of land forces ashore. The article also stresses that LPDs would need other naval assets to survive modern threats during operations.