The Army plans to procure eight Landing Craft Assaults and six Fast Patrol Boats to facilitate amphibious operations in the Sir Creek area, subject of a maritime territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, as well as the Brahmaputra river basin to the east.
In the two requests for information issued for the vessels, the Army has said it wants to deploy the LCAs for transportation of vehicles and material, as well as for random patrols and limited search and rescue operations, while the FPBs will be for surveillance, patrolling and interception at sea and over water bodies.
•The Army requires both to have at least a 50 % domestic component in design.
•The LCA system, the Army has said, needs to be designed in a manner that it can be driven in and out of water bodies without the need for any jetty.
It should be operable in water at minimal draughts, in unknown and varying terrain conditions, and also at high speeds, it says in the RFI for the LCA. The force wants the LCA to be versatile, to facilitate seamless execution of operations such as patrolling, fast attack and interception across varying terrains and operating conditions.
“The LCA should be designed to ensure safety of the operator, reduction of operator fatigue whilst achieving the standards for rugged military use,” the Army said. Its maximum speed should be not less than 20 knots, with an endurance of eight hours. The carriage capacity should be 35 personnel, including the crew, along with weapons and equipment and a total payload of 5,255 kg.
For Seaward Anti-terrorist Patrols
•The Army is seeking a maximum speed of 35 knots at sea with four persons on board, including the crew, with a total payload of 500 kg.
•The Army wants to be able to operate the boat in shallow and muddy conditions & carry out coordinated secure operations and force protection of vessels.
Sir Creek
•Sir Creek is a 96-km strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands.
•Originally named Ban Ganga, Sir Creek is named after a British representative.
The Creek opens up in the Arabian Sea and roughly divides the Kutch region of Gujarat from the Sindh Province of Pakistan.
What’s the importance of Sir Creek?
•Apart from strategic location, Sir Creek’s core importance is fishing resources. Sir Creek is considered to be among the largest fishing grounds in Asia.
•Another vital reason is the possible presence of great oil and gas concentration under the sea, which are currently unexploited thanks to the impending deadlock on the issue.
