The Indian Navy is seeking shipbuilders for four big landing ships, which analysts say could help it support operations and disaster relief further afield in the Indian Ocean, according to the South China Morning Post.
Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, the navy's vice chief, said on Monday that a request for proposals for the landing platform docks had been sent to shortlisted shipyards. Each ship would displace more than 30,000 tonnes, measure 220 metres and carry up to 900 equipped troops along with vehicles, tanks and artillery, plus landing craft and helicopters.
The ships, estimated to cost nearly $5.3bn in total, will be built in India, with electric propulsion developed under an India-UK defence partnership agreed in Mumbai last October. Experts quoted by the paper said the ships would only prove their worth if the navy deployed them well in an emergency.
Source: South China Morning Post
