Private shipyards to construct four 40000 ton LPD!!!

[AUSTERLITZ]

Where can we possibly land an armour brigade amphibiously? Karachi? Gwadar? Shanghai?

Andaman.Overseas operation.Maldives or sri lanka -crisis.Pakistan in all out warfare case.
But its more likely these are Fleet support ships for logistics rather than amphibious landing platforms.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

What would we do with a helo carrier or such a large LPD? We don't have a marine corps like the US does, and we don't have plans to place marine expeditionary forces in distant places. How are such assets going to be utilized? Surely we won't do any amphibious landing against Pak or China, given that we share long land borders with them?

I wonder if this is a misutilization of money. Shouldn't we be strengthening our submarine arm or even surface combatants first?

None of those arguments hold water. To me it seems to be more of a Helo/VSTOL Carrier than LPD. Even accepting that India is increasing her Marine/Amphib Forces.
Which makes sense according to me. In that role they will fit well into indep. Task Forces apart from in a MEF role. I even discern some pointers towards aircraft like the Osprey in IN thinking based on this news. Just as the talk of EMALS ties into a larger IN Carrier in the future. Most of all, this is an initial step; augmenting the Surface and Sub fleet has progressed beyond that stage already.

 

[Gessler]

None of those arguments hold water. To me it seems to be more of a Helo/VSTOL Carrier than LPD. Even accepting that India is increasing her Marine/Amphib Forces.
Which makes sense according to me. In that role they will fit well into indep. Task Forces apart from in a MEF role. I even discern some pointers towards aircraft like the Osprey in IN thinking based on this news. Just as the talk of EMALS ties into a larger IN Carrier in the future. Most of all, this is an initial step; augmenting the Surface and Sub fleet has progressed beyond that stage already.

It is said that the SPB will be turned into a full-fledged Marine Corps-type force.

None of those arguments hold water. To me it seems to be more of a Helo/VSTOL Carrier than LPD. Even accepting that India is increasing her Marine/Amphib Forces.
Which makes sense according to me. In that role they will fit well into indep. Task Forces apart from in a MEF role. I even discern some pointers towards aircraft like the Osprey in IN thinking based on this news. Just as the talk of EMALS ties into a larger IN Carrier in the future. Most of all, this is an initial step; augmenting the Surface and Sub fleet has progressed beyond that stage already.

It is said that the SPB will be turned into a full-fledged Marine Corps-type force.

 

[kaykay]

I'm pretty sure these are NOT LPDs, but FLEET SUPPORT SHIPS (FSS).

Something like the DCNS BRAVE-class.

You are 100% correct. India has 2 plans. one for 4 LPDs which is known as Multirole support vessels and another for 5 replenishment ships known as fleet support ships.

Underway-Replenishment Fleet Tanker

 

[Kinetic]

is not it too much ? Indian navy is not going to have big battle groups , why so many LPD, it would have been better to increase support battle group first. It should be after having 3-4 fully operational aircraft carriers battle group. even it will require addtional suppporting battle group for each LPD

IN is hoping for big LPD like latest America class.

These LPDs will not need support the are like full fledged battle group. They will host large number of aircrafts, tank, soldiers and air defence systems.

 

[Didact]

What would we do with a helo carrier or such a large LPD? We don't have a marine corps like the US does, and we don't have plans to place marine expeditionary forces in distant places. How are such assets going to be utilized? Surely we won't do any amphibious landing against Pak or China, given that we share long land borders with them?

I wonder if this is a misutilization of money. Shouldn't we be strengthening our submarine arm or even surface combatants first?

We are looking at it in the wrong way. The plans under which the new procurements are being planned are not aimed at the IN of 2014 or even 2020. What we are looking at are the first tentative steps towards the 2040-50 plan. Give it a few more years and the outlines of the plans will become much more apparent than it is now. This shouldn't surprise anyone though, The Indian Navy has been the most farsighted of the three services since independence.

By 2020, expect the first brigades of the Marine corps to begin operations, initially as a defensive force for island protection. These LPDs, when inducted, will transform this force into an expeditionary unit. 4 40K ton LHD/LPDs should enable two brigades worth of amphibious lift capabilities, increasing to about a division (3 brigades) with supporting LSTs over shorter ranges. (These are the minimum targets of the IN).

Even the current carrier requirements were prepared around the late 80s, almost a generation ago. Add to this time delay and the massive expansion of the PLAN is undergoing, you will soon see the surge in requirements by IN as the new plans take effect. The INS VIshal is the just the first.

@AUSTERLITZ, the USN Wasp class LHDs can hold upto 21 AAVs in their well deck, about half an armored regiment. So I have severe doubt if a single LHD/LPD could even transport an entire armored brigade (3 regiments + reserves) onto a beachhead

 

[Archie]

Seeing you after some time buddy.

I am not that much active these days because of work

 

[Lostsoldier]

I can see f-35b

 

[jha]

Maybe this points to something else: more a Helo Carrier than a LPD......in terms of capabilities.

Yes.. IN is probably planning for something else. Something big ..

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Yes.. IN is probably planning for something else. Something big ..

Umm yes; I have stated my inference already.

 

[GR!FF!N]

@Gessler

you're right..

Saurav Jha's Blog : New power projection capabilities sought for the Indian Navy- Fleet Support Ships

but there was talk about 5 of them.why only 4???and also,it was in "Global Buy" category.

 

[kaykay]

@Gessler

you're right..

Saurav Jha's Blog : New power projection capabilities sought for the Indian Navy- Fleet Support Ships

but there was talk about 5 of them.why only 4???and also,it was in "Global Buy" category.

I guess writer has mixed 2 different procurement plans in one.
4 LPD deal is completely different from 5 FSS deal and writer has been mixed FSS tonnage to LPD one.
PS: FSS is meant to be 40000 tons.

 

[sancho]

You are 100% correct. India has 2 plans. one for 4 LPDs which is known as Multirole support vessels and another for 5 replenishment ships known as fleet support ships.

Underway-Replenishment Fleet Tanker

Or here:

Indian Navy For 5 More Fleet Tankers

The Indian Navy has announced interest in acquiring five new fleet support ships under the 'global buy'' category. The Navy has stipulated it requires ships with displacement of 40,000 tons in fully loaded condition, 200-metres long and a maximum beam of 25-metres...

Livefist: Indian Navy For 5 More Fleet Tankers


So most likely misreporting.

 

[GR!FF!N]

I guess writer has mixed 2 different procurement plans in one.
4 LPD deal is completely different from 5 FSS deal and writer has been mixed FSS tonnage to LPD one.
PS: FSS is meant to be 40000 tons.

may be.because if I'm correct,Govt released a tender about LPD in december last year.this one explicitly said in mid September.its the govt who announced that LPD project is for private companies in mid sept.

Rs 25,000 crore Navy tender only for private sector: Defence Ministry - IBNLive

 

[sancho]

IN is hoping for big LPD like latest America class.

Neither is the America class an LDP, nor an LHD, since it doesn't have a well dock for amphibious landing crafts anymore (at least not the initially planned and produced versions). It's basically a VTOL aircraft carrier like the INS Viraat and not and LDP like INS Jalashwa.
IN on the otherside made clear in the RFI for the LDP competition, that they want a well deck and a size of not more than 200m in length, which shows more to smaller LDPs (possibly LHDs) than larger carriers.