State-run Indian company Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) commissions the 8th and the last ship under Project LCU Mark IV at Port Blair with Lt Gen Manoj Pande, Commander in Chief A & N Command on March 18, 2021. The LCU (Landing Craft Utility) will operate under the navy’s Andaman and Nicobar Command, which provides security for a major trade route to and from India via the South China Sea. The is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. The ship can carry up to 216 personnel and 145 tonnes of cargo. She is fitted with a hydraulic bow ramp.
Named IN LCU-L58 Yard 2099, the LCU has a length of 62.8 metres, a hull draught of 2.2 m, a beam of 11 metres, a displacement of 830 tonnes, a speed of 15 knots, and space for 216 crew and other personnel. Two CRN 91 30-millimetre naval guns are fitted for self-defence and to provide fire support during landing operations. She is powered by two MTU 16V 4000 M53 marine diesel engines (each 1840 KWs) and can reach a top speed of 15 kn (28 km/h) with a maximum cruising range 1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h). The Indian Navy took delivery of the final one of eight Mark IV landing craft utility (LCU) vessels from local builder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) on December 31 2020.
The Mark-IV Class LCU was designed in-house by GRSE according to the requirements of the Indian Navy. The vessels are built in compliance with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards. The LCU features a steel hull and a deckhouse made of aluminium alloy. Cargo capacities of Mark-IV Class LCU. The ship is capable of transporting a range of combat vehicles such as Arjun and T72 main battle tanks (MBTs), as well as wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles. Its hydraulic ramp fitted at the bow allows the loading and offloading of combat equipment and vehicles during amphibious missions. The LCU is also equipped with a ballast system for the efficient landing of vehicles and equipment.
