Indian Navy plans to procure six LCU Mk V vessels

The Indian Navy has issued a request for information to procure six landing craft utility (LCU) Mk V vessels from Indian shipyards to strengthen amphibious operations, logistics and HADR capabilities. The RFI states procurement will follow Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0 under the Buy (Indian - IDDM) category. Each 1,500-tonne vessel must carry at least four main battle tanks, 4 BMP infantry combat vehicles and 190 troops, with a maximum speed of 15 knots or more and endurance of about 4,500 nautical miles. The Navy operates eight 830-tonne Mk IV class LCUs.

Written by AI from Times of India — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 23 Sept 2026, 4:28 am IST

Source

Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗

#indian navy#defence procurement#amphibious operations#shipbuilding#hadr

Desk check · compared with the source

What the desk checked (4)

The Indian Navy has issued an RFI to procure six LCU Mk V vessels from Indian shipyards. — Attributed in the source to the Navy's request for information; no document number or date given.
Procurement is intended under 'Buy (Indian - IDDM)' as per Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0. — Directly quoted from the RFI in the source text.
Each vessel should displace 1,500 tonnes, carry at least four main battle tanks, 4 BMP infantry combat vehicles and 190 troops, with speed of 15 knots or more and endurance of about 4,500 nautical miles. — Figures appear in the source as RFI requirements; not independently verifiable here.
The Navy currently operates 8 active Mk IV class LCUs of about 830 tonnes, mostly under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, carrying MBTs and up to 160 troops. — Stated in the source without a named official source; internally consistent.

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Analysts’ view opinion

AI Political Analyst

This is more than a naval procurement notice — issuing an RFI for six LCU Mk V vessels under the 'Buy (Indian – IDDM)' category signals the political weight the government continues to place on indigenous defence production. Restricting the order to domestic shipyards reinforces the 'Make in India' narrative while tying jobs and industrial politics to coastal states where those yards sit. The move from 830-tonne Mk IV to 1,500-tonne Mk V platforms signals capability expansion, but an RFI is an early step, not a signed contract.

Choosing the IDDM category once again underlines indigenous defence manufacturing as a government political priority.
Because the work would go to Indian shipyards, employment and ancillary-industry benefits become a political talking point in the states hosting them.
Framing the vessels around disaster relief (HADR) gives a public-utility justification for defence spending.
With existing Mk IV craft based largely under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the plan hints at rising strategic emphasis on island territories.
Telling shipyards to treat the RFI as advance notice for clearances and infrastructure shows deliberate policy-industry coordination.

What to watch — Watch how quickly the RFI converts into a tender and contract, and which shipyards emerge as contenders — that is where the next political debate is likely to centre.

The story establishes no contract value, timeline, chosen shipyard or final government approval; this remains only an initial request for information.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 3 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

The Indian Navy has floated a request for information (RFI) to Indian shipyards for six Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk V vessels, a larger successor to its existing indigenous Mk IV class. LCUs are rugged, steel-hulled amphibious craft that move heavy equipment, vehicles and troops from ship to shore, along coasts or back to warships, and are also used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), medical evacuation and specialised maritime operations. The Navy presently operates eight active LCUs, all of the Mk IV class, displacing about 830 tonnes and largely based under the Andaman and Nicobar Command. The new procurement is intended to be under the Buy (Indian - IDDM) category of Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0, requiring shipyards to declare indigenous content.

Key facts

The Indian Navy has issued an RFI for six Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk V vessels to be built by Indian shipyards.
Stated purpose: strengthening amphibious operations, logistics and HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) capabilities.
Procurement will follow Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0, with categorisation intended under Buy (Indian - IDDM).
Each Mk V vessel is to displace 1,500 tonnes, against about 830 tonnes for the existing Mk IV class.
Capacity sought: at least four main battle tanks, 4 BMP infantry combat vehicles and 190 troops.
Performance sought: maximum speed of 15 knots or more and endurance of around 4,500 nautical miles.
The Navy currently has 8 active LCUs, all of the indigenous Mk IV class, mainly under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
Mk IV LCUs can carry MBTs such as Arjun or T-72, armoured vehicles and up to 160 troops.

Timeline

Existing fleet (date not stated in the source)Indian Navy inducts eight indigenous Mk IV class LCUs of about 830 tonnes, largely stationed under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
Present (exact date not stated in the source)Navy issues RFI for six LCU Mk V vessels under DPP 2.0, Buy (Indian - IDDM) category.
Next stepShipyards asked to treat the RFI as advance information to obtain government clearances and set up manpower and material infrastructure.

Who has a stake

Indian Navy — Seeks larger amphibious lift for ship-to-shore movement of tanks, vehicles and troops, plus logistics and HADR missions.
Indian shipyards — Potential builders under Buy (Indian - IDDM); must report indigenous content and create manpower and material infrastructure.
Andaman and Nicobar Command — Primary base for existing Mk IV LCUs used for beaching, transport and humanitarian missions in island territories.
Ministry of Defence / procurement authorities — Applying Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0 and indigenisation norms to the six-vessel acquisition.
Indian Army armoured and mechanised units — Depend on LCUs to land main battle tanks such as Arjun or T-72 and BMP infantry combat vehicles.
Disaster-affected coastal and island populations — Beneficiaries of LCU-based HADR, medical evacuation and relief transport.

Why it matters

Amphibious lift underpins India's ability to move armour and troops to island territories and contested coastlines, and to respond quickly to disasters in the Indian Ocean region. Moving from 830-tonne Mk IV craft to 1,500-tonne Mk V vessels nearly doubles displacement and raises troop capacity from 160 to 190, with tank and ICV carriage specified. Routing the order through Buy (Indian - IDDM) under DPP 2.0 also ties fleet expansion to domestic shipbuilding and indigenous content.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

LCU Mk V RFI: six vessels, 1,500 tonnes each, for the Indian Navy from Indian shipyards.
Requirement: 4 main battle tanks, 4 BMP infantry combat vehicles, 190 troops, 15+ knots, ~4,500 nautical miles endurance.
Existing fleet: 8 active LCUs, all indigenous Mk IV class, about 830 tonnes, up to 160 troops.
Mk IV LCUs are primarily stationed under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
Procurement category: Buy (Indian - IDDM) under Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0.
LCU roles include amphibious transport, HADR, medical evacuation and specialised maritime operations.

Mains framing

The Navy's RFI for six LCU Mk V vessels reflects a capability gap between India's expanding maritime responsibilities and its existing amphibious lift, currently limited to eight 830-tonne Mk IV craft concentrated under the Andaman and Nicobar Command. The Mk V specifications — 1,500 tonnes displacement, at least four main battle tanks, four BMP infantry combat vehicles, 190 troops, 15 knots or more and about 4,500 nautical miles endurance — indicate a demand for greater payload and reach for ship-to-shore operations, island logistics and HADR tasks such as relief transport and medical evacuation. Equally significant is the procurement route: by placing the order under Buy (Indian - IDDM) within Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0 and asking shipyards to submit indigenous content details, the Navy links fleet modernisation to domestic shipbuilding capacity. The RFI's advice that shipyards treat it as advance information to secure government clearances and build up manpower and material infrastructure points to the main challenges ahead — yard readiness, clearances and timely delivery. The way forward lies in converting the RFI into a competitive, clearly specified tender while strengthening indigenous design and construction capability, so that amphibious readiness and self-reliance advance together.

Key terms

Landing Craft Utility (LCU): Rugged steel-hulled amphibious craft that carries heavy equipment, vehicles and troops from ship to shore, along coasts or back to warships.
Request for Information (RFI): A pre-tender document seeking details from prospective vendors or shipyards, here treated as advance information for clearances and infrastructure.
Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0: The procedure under which this acquisition will be made, requiring shipyards to submit details of indigenous content.
Buy (Indian - IDDM): Procurement category for indigenously designed, developed and manufactured equipment, intended for the LCU Mk V order.
HADR: Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, one of the stated roles for which the new LCUs are sought.
Andaman and Nicobar Command: Command where the Navy's existing Mk IV LCUs are primarily stationed for beaching, transport and humanitarian missions.

Practice questions

Discuss the significance of amphibious lift capability, such as the proposed LCU Mk V, for India's island territories and HADR responses in the Indian Ocean region.
Examine how the Buy (Indian - IDDM) category under Defence Procurement Procedure 2.0 seeks to promote self-reliance in naval shipbuilding, with reference to the LCU Mk V RFI.
Compare the stated capabilities of the existing Mk IV LCUs with the requirements set out for the Mk V, and explain what the difference reveals about evolving naval requirements.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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