Landing Craft Utility (LCU) L-58 is commissioned into Indian Navy at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The ship is also capable of carrying 160 soldiers besides its crew. This is the eighth and last ship of mark IV class.
While inducting the Navy’s fleet, Commander Krishna K. Yadav read the commission warrant as to the first commanding officer of the ship. After joining the L-58 Navy, India has now got 3 LCU and 4th class LCU of Kumbhir category. The ship can be loaded with 900 tonnes of weight including combat vehicles, battle tanks, armoured. Grse handed over the last ship to the Navy on 31st December 2020.
This indigenously designed ship
The LCU 58 is an amphibious ship, which can carry 160 soldiers in addition to its crew. The ship is capable of carrying 900 tons of weight in the form of various types of combat vehicles, main battle tanks (MBT), BMP, armoured vehicles, trucks. The ship has a length of 63 metres and its engine is capable of running the ship at a speed of 15 nautical miles (28 kmph). A navy spokesman said an enthusiastic team of five officers and 50 sailors is deployed on the ship. The Kolkata company GRSE has brought the nation another success in the success of the ‘ Make in India ‘ and ‘ Self-reliant India ‘ campaign by designing and building it indigenously.
Indigenously manufactured guns have been used
The ship’s main weapons include two indigenously built 30mm CRN91 guns, controlled by a static Optonic Chronicle (SOP). In addition, six machine-gun posts have been put up to neutralize the ship from air, surface and sub-conventional hazards. According to the spokesman, an advanced electronic support system has been installed in the ship to avoid enemy radars. In addition, the advanced integrated bridge system and a sophisticated integrated platform management system in the ship allow single station monitoring of the ship’s navigation and machinery equipment respectively.
Deployment in roles such as disaster and surveillance operations
The spokesman says the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 58, which joined the Navy today, will be based at Port Blair. It will be deployed in various roles such as search and rescue, disaster relief, coastal patrol and surveillance operations in the islands of Andaman and Nicobar, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean region. The landing craft will advance the strength of the Indian Navy as well as the motto of the Andaman and Nicobar Command through ‘ Vijay through connectedness ‘.
