Mk. IV LCU

LCU L51 during MILAN 2018
Class overview
Name: LCU MK IV class
Builders: GRSE
Operators:  Indian Navy
Preceded by: Mk. III LCU
Built: 2011–
Planned: 8
Completed: 5
Active: 4
General characteristics
Type: Landing craft utility
Displacement:
  • 830 t (910 tons) standard[1]
  • 1,001 t (1,103 tons) full load[2]
Length: 62.8 m (206 ft)[2]
Beam: 11 m (36 ft)
Draught: 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
Installed power: 1,840 kW (2,470 hp) each[3]
Propulsion:
  • 2 × MTU 16V 4000 M53 diesel engines[2]
  • Fixed-pitch propellers
Speed: 15 kn (28 km/h)[2]
Range: 1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)[2]
Troops: 160[1]
Complement: 56[3]
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • SATCOM - LINK II Mod 1 tactical datalink
  • Sanket S passive electronic warfare system
  • ELK 7036 communications intelligence (COMINT) system
  • MiniPOP surveillance system[2]
Armament:

Mk IV LCU class vessels are follow on class of Mk. III LCU operated by the Indian Navy. The Mk IV LCU are meant to augment the Indian Navy's amphibious capability. The ship can be deployed for maritime roles like maritime security, beaching, un-beaching, humanitarian relief operations and evacuation from distant islands, search and rescue operations and peace-keeping missions. The LCUs will likely be inducted into the tri-service command responsible for India's Andaman and Nicobar island territory. The Indian Navy is developing the chain of islands as an amphibious warfare hub, possibly to counterbalance China's growing military influence in the Indian Ocean Region. The craft may also operate in the Arabian Sea.

History

GRSE signed an agreement for ₹21 billion (equivalent to ₹31 billion or US$430 million in 2017) with the Indian Navy for designing and building eight LCU ships on 28 September 2011 and construction began in September 2012. The craft are built from 16 hull blocks, the largest of which weighs 25 tons. Block production has been outsourced to smaller yards around Kolkata.[5]

Design

The ship is 63 metres long, overall beam of 11 metres, a hull draught of 2.2 metres and displaces around 830 tonnes.[3] They can transport by sea and beach at far away islands, to deploy army tanks and troops. With a maximum speed of 15 knots and an endurance of more than 1500 nautical miles, the ship is driven by twin-propeller fixed-pitch propulsion system powered by two MTU 16V 4000 M53 marine diesel engines(each 1840 KWs). Each engine drives a Fundivisa-supplied fixed-pitch propeller through a Reintjes WAF 763 P reversible reduction gearbox.[2] Two 30mm CRN-91 mounted guns with a Bharat Electronics-built EON-51 electro-optic director provide artillery fire support during landing operations.[6]

The LCU has lift capacity for up to 216 personnel, including 160 fully equipped soldiers and 56 crew and 145 tonnes of military equipment. The vehicle lift capacity is one 65 ton tank like the Arjun or two 45 ton tanks like the T-72/80, or four 13.5 ton BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicles. It is fitted with a hydraulic bow ramp which enables loading and unloading of combat equipment and vehicles on beaching.[2] Ballast arrangement further ensures desired trim for smooth beaching operations.

Ships of the class

Yard No Pennant Laid down Launched Commissioned Home-port Status
2092 L 51 24 April 2013 12 March 2014[5] 28 March 2017[4] Port Blair Active
2093 L 52 24 April 2013 23 September 2014[5] 21 August 2017[7]
2094[8] L 53 20 August 2013 16 January 2015[5] 25 April 2018[9]
2095[10] L 54 20 January 2014 23 March 2015[10] 25 May 2018[1]
2096[11] L 55 2014[12] 7 December 2015[13] Delivered[14]
2097 L 56 30 September 2014 12 March 2016[15]
2098 L 57 28 March 2015 24 November 2016[16]
2099 L 58 31 August 2015[17] 16 December 2016[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dominguez, Gabriel (31 May 2018). "Indian Navy commissions fourth Mk IV landing craft". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mazumdar, Mrityunjoy (5 October 2016). "Indian Navy receives first of new class of Mk IV LCUs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Rahmat, Ridzwan (13 March 2016). "GRSE launches Indian Navy's sixth Mk IV LCU". IHS Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Commissioning of INLCU L51 by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, AVSM Commander-in-Chief Andaman And Nicobar Command" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 28 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Mazumdar, Mrityunjoy; Rahmat, Ridzwan (22 January 2015). "GRSE launches third Mk IV LCU for Indian Navy". IHS Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "GRSE Launched Indian Navy's Third Mk IV Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Vessel". www.navyrecognition.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Commissioning of Second Ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV 'IN LCU L52'(GRSE Yard 2093) at Port Blair" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 21 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Landing Craft Utility Ship for Indian Navy Launched at Grse" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 16 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Commissioning of Third Ship of Landing Craft Utility Mk-IV 'IN LCU L53' (GRSE Yard 2094) at port Blair- 25 Apr 18" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 25 April 2018.
  10. 1 2 "4th LCU of Mk IV Project launched". Indian Navy (Press release). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "Launch Of Yard 2096" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 7 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "GRSE Chairmans Statement 2014-2015" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "GRSE launches fifth ship of Indian Navy's LCU MK IV project". The Economic Times. 7 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "Sixth, Make in India warship meant for multi-role amphibious missions delivered to Indian Navy". Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  15. ↑ "Sixth ship of LCU MK IV project launched in Kolkata". Business Standard. Asian News International. 12 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "Landing Craft Utility LCU 57 (Yard 2098) launched at GRSE, Kolkata" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 24 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Rahmat, Ridzwan (4 September 2015). "GRSE lays keel for Indian Navy's eighth Mk IV LCU". IHS Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015.
  18. ↑ "LAUNCH of Eighth LCU - GRSE YARD 2099" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 16 December 2016.
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