French Government is decommissioning its 17 year old Landing Platform Dock - Siroco, due to defence budget cuts. This 12,000 ton ship is an amphibious assault platform which can carry a mechanized regiment anywhere in battle. It can carry multiple tanks, armored vehicles, 450 troops (900 for short trips) and 4-6 helicopters. The price is around USD $90 million (Yes! Less than 100 million) which is a good buy. A new ship of this class would be priced in north of USD$ 900 million. Even India's INS Kolkata's are costing north of a billion USD these days.
Already Brazil and Portugal are interested in buying the ship and their delegations have made visits to observe ship's condition.
Portugal may buy France's Siroco LPD - IHS Jane's 360 Brazilian study recommends procuring Siroco LPD - IHS Jane's 360
The Indian Navy is weakest in amphibious warfare and HADR. It is making do with one INS Jalashwa/USS Trenton with few LSTs and a proposal to build four LHDs are still in RFP stage. There is no visible RFI/RFP contract for building LPDs anywhere on the horizon. Meager budget available to Indian Navy precludes going on a buying venture for many platforms which it would ideally look for to shore up its amphibious warfare capability. Therefore, buying LPD Siroco looks like a good opportunity today for IN. This ship can be deployed near Andaman and Nicobar Command where it can increase Indian naval capabilities many fold and hold its own against the Chinese Navy which already has THREE LPDs in service, with 2 more coming along with many future LHDs.
The purchase of USS Trenton/INS Jalashwa was a controversial but smart move by a rare visionary officer, Admiral Arun Prakash of Indian Navy. That great man, even at the cost of personal attacks and CAG cribbing, went ahead with the deal and got a warship, at absolutely cheap prices, which is today the flagship of the Eastern fleet. When the defence budget is small, one will have to look for creative solutions like Admiral Arun Prakash. Moreover, in the case of France, India has a bit of leverage, courtesy to the Rafale deal.
Will any other Admiral in Indian Navy rise to the occasion and seize the chance to acquire a cheap but quite capable ship?
Already Brazil and Portugal are interested in buying the ship and their delegations have made visits to observe ship's condition.
Portugal may buy France's Siroco LPD - IHS Jane's 360 Brazilian study recommends procuring Siroco LPD - IHS Jane's 360
The Indian Navy is weakest in amphibious warfare and HADR. It is making do with one INS Jalashwa/USS Trenton with few LSTs and a proposal to build four LHDs are still in RFP stage. There is no visible RFI/RFP contract for building LPDs anywhere on the horizon. Meager budget available to Indian Navy precludes going on a buying venture for many platforms which it would ideally look for to shore up its amphibious warfare capability. Therefore, buying LPD Siroco looks like a good opportunity today for IN. This ship can be deployed near Andaman and Nicobar Command where it can increase Indian naval capabilities many fold and hold its own against the Chinese Navy which already has THREE LPDs in service, with 2 more coming along with many future LHDs.
The purchase of USS Trenton/INS Jalashwa was a controversial but smart move by a rare visionary officer, Admiral Arun Prakash of Indian Navy. That great man, even at the cost of personal attacks and CAG cribbing, went ahead with the deal and got a warship, at absolutely cheap prices, which is today the flagship of the Eastern fleet. When the defence budget is small, one will have to look for creative solutions like Admiral Arun Prakash. Moreover, in the case of France, India has a bit of leverage, courtesy to the Rafale deal.
Will any other Admiral in Indian Navy rise to the occasion and seize the chance to acquire a cheap but quite capable ship?
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