Landing Platform Docks (LPD) of the Indian Navy

INS Jalashwa - the Indian Navy's only active landing platform dock, seen here in 2020.

The Indian Navy - being one of the most potent navies in the Indian Ocean, had long sought to procure amphibious warfare vessels, as a part of its scheme to augment its capabilities of amphibious warfare, disaster-response management and evacuation of civilians and personnel.[6]

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Indian Navy initiated one of the largest "Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief" (HADR) operations in its history; the service 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.[7] However, the experience unraveled a significant drawback - the Indian Navy barely possessed the capability to undertake amphibious transport operations nor humanitarian assistance operations, although it operated landing tank crafts - which were capable of undertaking amphibious operations, albeit at a limited capacity.[8][9]

With the revelation of this acute flaw, India quickly sought to procure amphibious vessels capable of undertaking amphibious warfare and disaster-response management.[10] In 2007, India purchased the ex-USS Trenton - an Austin-class amphibious transport dock from the United States Navy (USN) and re-commissioned it as the INS Jalashwa.[11] Since its re-commissioning, INS Jalashwa has undertaken numerous disaster-response and humanitarian-relief operations, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][13][14]

In addition to the re-commissioned INS Jalashwa, India was also offered the USS Nashville, another Austin-class amphibious transport dock; however, the Indian Navy never purchased it.[15][16]

In 2011, the Indian Navy established the "Multi-Role Support Vessel" Program (MSRV), an initiative to acquire four landing platform docks from a foreign naval conglomerate.[17] 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.[18]

In 2013, the Indian Navy issued a Request For Proposal to four domestic shipbuilders - L&T Shipbuilding (L&T), ABG Shipyard (ABG), Pipavav Shipyard Limited (RDEL) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).[19] Under this scheme, the winner of the bid (likely a private-shipyard) would have to build two landing platform docks, while the remaining two were to be built by the state-owned HSL.[20]

Under this programme - worth USD $2.65 billion, the three private shipyards tied up with different foreign conglomerates - L&T allied with Spain-based Navantia, RDEL allied with France-based DCNS (now Naval Group), while ABG tied with US-based Alion.[21] 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.[22][23] 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.[24]

In 2017, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) - the arms acquisition body of India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), approved the procurement of the four specified vessels.[25] 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.[26]

The competition narrowed down to just 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.[27][28][29]

From its inception in 2013, until 2020 - the MRSV initiative underwent seven extensions and one re-submission of bids.[30]

In 2019, after a string of delays in the project, the Indian Navy approached the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to cancel the tender, then worth USD $3 billion.[31] 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; proposals to scrap the tender - in order to circumvent a "single-vendor situation", were favoured by the MoD instead.[32]

In September 2020, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) criticised the Indian Navy for its failure to conclude the project and lambasted the project's long-period of inactivity.[33][34] Later that month, the MoD scrapped the tender, then worth INR ₹20,000 crore (US$3 billion) - given the tender's prolonged inactivity and lack of action on the issue.[35] With the termination of the contract, the Indian Navy reportedly planned to initiate a fresh bidding process for the acquisition of a new fleet of landing platform docks, with new qualitative requirements.[36][37]

In November 2020, the Indian Navy revised its original plan of purchasing four landing platform docks to just two, due to severe budgetary constraints and inadequate funding.[38]

• To undertake "Out-of-Area Contingencies" (OOAC).
• To support/assist land-based operations.
• To execute disaster-response and humanitarian-relief operations.
• To undertake fleet-support functions through replenishment capability and comprehensive workshop facilities.
• To provide medical facilities for the treatment of battle-casualties.[42]

• Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) :-
  • Based in Kochi, CSL is the largest shipbuilder in India and has long been a supplier to the Indian Navy.[43] It is presently engaged in constructing India's first indigenously designed aircraft carrier - INS Vikrant.[44]
• L&T Shipbuilding (L&T) :-
  • Based in Hazira and Kattupalli, L&T has also been a noted supplier to the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.[45] L&T's Hazira-based shipyard has the capability to build large vessels, with a tonnage of 20,000 t (20,000 long tons), with a length of 160 m (524 ft 11 in).[46]
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) :-
  • Based in Kolkata, GRSE has long been a supplier to the Indian Navy; having delivered over 100 warships - including the Shardul-class amphibious warfare vessels, the Kamorta-class corvettes, the Aditya-class auxiliary vessels, the Mk. IV LCU landing craft vessels and other warships.[47]
• Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) :-
  • Based in Mumbai, MDL is a distinguished supplier to the Indian Navy; having delivered numerous warships - including the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, the Kolkata-class destroyers, the Shivalik-class frigates and the Kalvari-class submarines.[48]

The Trieste-class landing helicopter dock, designed by Fincantieri.

A model of the Project 23900 amphibious assault vessel, designed by JSC Zelenodolsk Design Bureau.

According to multiple sources, the following naval designs may be offered in the tender -

•  France :
  • May offer the Mistral-class amphibious warfare vessel.[49]
  • Designed by Naval Group and currently operated by the French Navy and the Egyptian Navy.[50]
  • Was previously offered to India, in joint-partnership with Reliance Defence & Engineering Limited.[51]
  • Participated with the Indian Navy in the Indo-French "VARUNA-21" joint-naval exercise.[52]
•  Spain :
  • May offer the Juan Carlos-I amphibious warfare vessels.[53]
  • Designed by Navantia and currently operated by the Spanish Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the Turkish Naval Forces.[54]
  • Was previously offered to India, in joint-partnership with Larsen & Toubro.[55]
  • Participated with the Indian Navy in the Indo-Australian "AUSINDEX-2019" joint-naval exercise.[56]
•  Italy :
  • May offer a variant of the Trieste landing helicopter dock.[57]
  • Designed by Fincantieri and currently operated by the Italian Navy.[58]
•  Russia :
  • May offer an export variant of Project 23900 amphibious warfare vessel.[59]
  • Designed by JSC Zelenodolsk Design Bureau and currently being built for the Russian Navy.[60]
•  South Korea :
  • May offer the Dokdo-class amphibious warfare vessel.[61]
  • Designed by Hanjin Heavy Industries and currently operated by the Republic of Korea Navy.[62]
  • Reportedly offered to India, under the MRSV tender.[63]