Indian Navy amphibious vessel acquisition project explained

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.[1]

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.[2] However, such measures have been frequently delayed, on account of varying reasons.[3]

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.[4]

History

Origins

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.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7] [8]

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.[9] 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.[10] Since its re-commissioning, Jalashwa executed numerous disaster-response and humanitarian-relief operations, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] [12] [13]

In addition Jalashwa, India was also offered the USS Nashville, another Austin-class vessel; however, the purchase was never made.[14] [15]

"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.[16] 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.[17]

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).[18] 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.[19]

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 French-based DCNS (now Naval Group), while ABG tied with the American-based Alion.[20] 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.[21] [22] 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.[23]

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.[24] 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.[25]

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.[26] [27] [28]

Cancellation

From its inception in 2013 till 2020, the MRSV program underwent seven extensions and one re-submission of bids.[29]

In 2019, after a string of delays in the project, the IN approached the MoD to cancel the tender, then worth USD $3 billion.[30] 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".[31]

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.[32] [33] Later that month, the MoD scrapped the tender, then worth INR, given the tender's prolonged inactivity and lack of action.[34] 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.[35] [36]

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.[37]

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).[38] 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.[39] Further 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.[40]

Planned capabilities

Potential contenders

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

Potential shipyards

Prospective designs

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Why India needs more ships like INS Jalashwa. rediff.com. 29 May 2020.
  2. Web site: INDIAN MARITIME DOCTRINE Indian Navy Naval Strategic Publication 1.1. inexartificers.com. August 2009.
  3. Web site: Indian Navy seeks cancellation of $2.8 B amphibious warfare ship (LPD) tender. spsnavalforces.com. 18 September 2019.
  4. Web site: INS Jalashwa a reflection of India-US trust. rediff.com. 2 June 2007.
  5. Web site: Why India needs more ships like INS Jalashwa. rediff.com. 29 May 2020.
  6. Web site: Indian Navy's new amphibious ships to be packed with UAVs, missiles, helicopters. theweek.in. 26 August 2021.
  7. Web site: India says 'not yet' to another assault ship from US. hindustantimes.com. 6 September 2007.
  8. Web site: The amphibious capability gap. business-standard.com. 21 May 2020.
  9. Web site: Navy to build four amphibious warships. thehindu.com. 13 December 2009.
  10. Web site: Indian Navy acquires USS Trenton. rediff.com. 17 January 2007.
  11. Web site: INS Jalashwa arrives at port of Antsiranana, Madagascar with Naval training team. aninews.com. 13 March 2021.
  12. Web site: INS Jalashwa reaches Ehoala, Madagascar to deliver humanitarian aid to deal with drought. aninews.com. 22 March 2021.
  13. Web site: INS Jalashwa arrives in Comoros with 1,000 metric tonne rice. aninews.in. 14 March 2021.
  14. Web site: After Trenton, Navy's Eyes Now On USS Nashville. livefistdefence.com. 15 July 2007.
  15. Web site: India says 'Not Yet' to another assault ship from US And to Hawkeye II, too. indiastrategic.in. August 2007.
  16. Web site: The Indian Navy's quest for amphibious assault ships. news18.com. 24 October 2014.
  17. Web site: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR CONSTRUCTION OF LPD CLASS OF SHIPS FOR INDIAN NAVY. indiannavy.nic.in.
  18. Web site: Defence Acquisition Council to look into projects for military modernisation. economictimes.com. 11 July 2018.
  19. Web site: Why Were Public Shipyards Overlooked in India's $2-Billion Search for Amphibious Warships?. thewire.in. 28 April 2018.
  20. Web site: Why Were Public Shipyards Overlooked in India's $2-Billion Search for Amphibious Warships?. thewire.in. 28 April 2018.
  21. Web site: ABG Shipyard may lose in race for Rs 20,000-cr warships for Indian Navy. financialexpress.com. 20 February 2016.
  22. Web site: ABG Shipyard heading for liquidation. economictimes.indiatimes.com. 26 April 2018.
  23. Web site: How Anil Ambani bough into the Pipavav fire sale. livemint.com. 12 March 2015.
  24. Web site: Government gives green signal to build worth over Rs 20,000 crore. 23 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220123043939/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/government-gives-green-signal-to-mega-naval-project-worth-over-rs-20000-crore/articleshow/58775978.cms. dead .
  25. Web site: Indian Navy seeks cancellation of $2.8 B amphibious warfare ship (LPD) tender. spsmai.com. 18 September 2019.
  26. Web site: MISTRAL LHD. india.naval-group.com.
  27. Web site: Reliance, L&T vying for ₹25,000-cr defence deal. thehindubusinessline.com. 4 June 2017.
  28. Web site: Reliance Defence, L&T may slug it out for Rs 20,000 crore warships contract. 10 March 2017.
  29. Web site: Setback for private shipyards as Navy cancels Rs 20,000 cr Landing Platform Docks contract. theprint.in. 12 October 2020.
  30. Web site: Indian Navy battles defense ministry over future of $3 billion contract. defensenews.com. 30 September 2019.
  31. Web site: India Navy in quandary over amphibious warship project, considers fresh tender. defence.capital. 14 July 2020.
  32. Web site: CAG slams Indian Navy for failing to conclude contract to procure LPDs. theweek.in. 23 September 2020.
  33. Web site: CAG slams Indian Navy for failing to conclude contract to procure LPDs. timesofindia.indiatimes.in. 23 September 2020.
  34. Web site: Tender for Rs 20 000-crore LPD project for Navy scrapped. theweek.in. 12 October 2020.
  35. Web site: Navy Scraps Tender for Rs 20,000 Cr Landing Platform Docks Contract over New 'Qualitative Requirements'. primetimes.in. 12 October 2020.
  36. Web site: India retracts amphibious warships tender, to rewrite qualitative requirements. defence.capital. 12 October 2020.
  37. Web site: Hit by budget crunch,Indian Navy now plans to buy 2 Landing Platform Docks instead of 4. theprint.in. 18 November 2020.
  38. Web site: New Delhi issues RFI for four locally made LPDs for Indian Navy. janes.com. 26 August 2021.
  39. Web site: The Indian Navy has issued an RFI for the procurement of 4 Landing Platform Docks. newsonair.com. 27 August 2021.
  40. Web site: RFI out again for 4 Landing Platform Docks for Indian Navy. financialexpress.com. 3 September 2021.
  41. Web site: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR PROCUREMENT OF LANDING PLATFORM DOCKs (LPDs). indiannavy.nic.in. 25 August 2021.
  42. Web site: Cochin Shipyard Limited - A Government of India Enterprise. cochinshipyard.com.
  43. Web site: India Issues RFI for the Procurement of Four LPD Amphibious Vessels. navalnews.com. 25 August 2021.
  44. Web site: L&T Shipbuilding.
  45. Web site: India Issues RFI for the Procurement of Four LPD Amphibious Vessels. navalnews.com. 25 August 2021.
  46. Web site: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd.- Government of India Undertaking - Shipbuilding. grse.in.
  47. Web site: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. mazagondock.in.
  48. Web site: India Issues RFI for the Procurement of Four LPD Amphibious Vessels. 25 August 2021.
  49. Web site: Mistral Class – Amphibious Assault Ships. naval-technology.com. 2 February 2017.
  50. Web site: DCNS offers modified Mistral to India. stratpost.com. 30 March 2015.
  51. Web site: French Indian Naval Exercise VARUNA 2021 Concludes. navalnews.com. 28 April 2021.
  52. Web site: Navantia and L&T Unveil LPD for India. spsnavalforces.com. March 2018.
  53. Web site: Juan Carlos Landing Helicopter Dock. naval-technology.com. 22 July 2009.
  54. Web site: NAVANTIA por el mundo: India (LHD). youtube.com. 10 January 2019.
  55. Web site: Indian Navy exercise with Australia: Will this warship be centre of attention?. theweek.in. 3 April 2019.
  56. Web site: India Issues RFI for the Procurement of Four LPD Amphibious Vessels. navalnews.com. 25 August 2021.
  57. Web site: LHD Trieste class. fincantieri.com.
  58. Web site: India Issues RFI for the Procurement of Four LPD Amphibious Vessels. navalnews.com. 25 August 2021.
  59. Web site: Russian Navy's Project 23900 LHDS Taking Shape in Kerch. navalpost.com. 2 March 2021.
  60. Web site: India Issues RFI for the Procurement of Four LPD Amphibious Vessels. navalnews.com. 25 August 2021.
  61. Web site: Dokdo Class Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH). naval-technology.com. 20 July 2011.
  62. Web site: India Navy in quandary over amphibious warship project, considers fresh tender. defence.capital. 14 July 2020.

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