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LST(L) Shardul - Landing Ship Tank — Large (LST-L)

In December 2001, a letter of intent for construction of three landing ship tanks (large) was placed on the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) shipyard. GRSE would deliver the landing ship tank by June 2007. The three large landing ship tanks would cost around Rs 350 crore each. The LST designs is an updated versions of two earlier vessels, INS Magar and INS Gharial, built by GRSE for the Indian Navy.

The first vessel in the series was launched on 03 April 2004, to be named Shardul when commissioned into the Indian Navy. A second vessel was launched on 08 June 2005, and will be named Kesari.

In October 2003 CAE won a C$16-million contract to supply the Indian navy with integration and control systems for three of the navy’s new landing ships. CAE will supply prime contractor Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers with advanced computer-based integrated platform management system (IPMS) technology that will provide propulsion and damage control for the navy’s landing ships.

On 04 April 2004 amphibian warship INS Shardul was launched at the main unit of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE). This was the third ship of the Landing Ship Tank large (LSTL) built by the GRSE. The INS Shardul was launched by Ms Renu Bansal, wife of vice-admiral OP Bansal, flag-officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Naval Command today. It was ordered by the India Navy in December 2001.

The INS Shardul would be an important auxiliary warship carrying armoured tanks, army vehicles and troops. It would have more than 90 per cent indigenous content. The ship is 124.8 metres long [about 5 meters longer that her predecessors] and 17.5 metres wide and can carry 11 main battle tanks, 10 army vehicles and 500 troops excluding the ship’s crew for amphibian operation and can achieve a speed of 15.8 knots. The ship is also provided with helicopter landing facilities to accommodate 42 C helicopter or indigenously built Dhruv helicopter.

The INS Shardul will have two WM 18 rocket launcher and four anti-aircraft guns. It would be fitted with propulsion remote control and battle damage control systems for efficient operation and control at sea.

On 08 June 2005 the Indian Navy received its fourth Landing Ship Tank (Large), INS Kesari. The fourth in a series of LST(L)s built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), INS Kesari, was launched in the presence of Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Yashwant Prasad.

The ship, built at a cost of Rs 400 crore, would be the most modern LST(L) in the country and carry armoured tanks, army vehicles and troops. The 124.8 metre long and 17.5 metre wide auxilliary warship can carry 11 main battle tanks, 10 army vehicles and 500 troops excluding ship crew, for amphibious operations and was capable of achieving a speed of 15.8 knots. It would also be fitted with modern electronic equipment and have two WM 18 rocket launcher mountings by L&T and four Anti Aircraft Guns and Battle Damage Control Systems.