GRSE Launches Indian Navy’s Eighth Landing Craft Utility

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) launched Indian Navy’s eighth landing craft utility (LCU), an amphibious ship, on Friday.

It is the last vessel in a series of eight ships of LCU MK-IV project designed and built by GRSE for the Navy, marking a significant milestone in the annals of the Indigenous Warship design and construction programme of India, Indian Defense ministry announced Friday.

Dubbed ‘LCU-L58’,  the ship displacing 830 Tons, can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations for landing troops ashore, humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations and evacuation of personnel from distant islands.

L58 is armed with two CRN 91 naval guns, two heavy machine guns, four medium machine guns and portable air defence system. All 8 LCU vessels have almost 90% of their components indigenous. They are deployed for maritime security of Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal.