India and UK to collaborate on propulsion for next-generation Landing Dock Platform
INS Jalashwa, the Indian Navy’s only current Landing Platform Dock. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The two countries signed a Statement of Intent to design an integrated full electric propulsion system for the Landing Platform Dock by 2030.
The UK and India have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to design and develop an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system for India’s next generation Landing Platform Dock (LPD) fleet.
The SoI was part of a much broader UK-India initiative, known as Defence Partnership – India (DP-I), which the countries announced at the start of Aero India in Bangalore this week.
The partnership will have a dedicated programme office within the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) which will serve as a one-stop shop for strengthening bilateral defence collaboration between the two countries.
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The launch of the partnership was also marked by agreements to expand UK-India collaboration on next-generation weapons with Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
Thales and BDL signed a contract to deliver Laser Beam Riding MANPADs (LBRM), with an initial supply of High Velocity Missiles (STARStreak) and launchers to be delivered this year.
On the development of the IFEP though, the next stage should see GE Vernova and BHEL collaborate to develop India’s first maritime land-based testing facility to deliver the next-generation LPD in the water by 2030.
The Indian Navy’s only current LPD is the INS Jalashwa, though the next-generation LPD tender by India is expected to result in four new vessels, with a contract award expected in 2026.
At the launch of the partnership, Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said: “India is taking significant steps in its journey to become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in its defence capabilities.
“The UK is really looking forward to working with India as a partner of choice in supporting this ambition, and collaborating on defence technologies lies at the heart of this,” she added. “These are landmark agreements that support our economic growth and joint security.”
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