http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=209817
Kolkata, November 14: INS Shardul, the third Landing Ship Tank of the Indian Navy after INS Magar and INS Gharial and the first of a new class, was handed over to the Indian Navy on 3 November. Credit, however, goes to Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, the premier Indian defence shipyard, that has added another feather in its cap. Shardul boasts of an indigenous content of over 90 per cent with state-of-the-art equipment.
It will be having two WM 18 Rocket Launcher Mountings manufactured by Larson & Toubro and CRN 91 guns, made in Secunderabad, capable of firing 550 rounds. Its military lift includes 11 armoured tanks and 10 army vehicles escalating its carrying capacity to 760 tonnes. It can carry about 200 troops for longer duration and about 500 for shorter ones.
The total cost of manufacture of INS Shardul has been estimated at around Rs 400 crore. In addition to this, two more ships are to be launched in the next couple of years. The director, Ship Building, Vinod Kumar, said the ship is being readied to head towards its home port at Karwar, Goa.
Shardul has a total complement of 11 officers and 145 sailors. Each department is headed by a departmental officer who functions under respective heads of departments.
The primary role of this ship is to transport troops, vehicles and armaments for amphibious operations and accomplish all objectives of landing, that is, beaching operations, transport combat equipment and personnel to Amphibious Objective Area. It has the capability of launching of marine commandos through sea and also by helicopters for vertical envelopment besides undertaking aerial evacuation of the casualties.
The crest of INS Shardul depicts a roaring Royal Bengal Tiger against a sky blue background. To sum up its commissioning, Commanding Officer Cdr Anil J Joseph, likes to call it a ââ¬Åtroop-carrierââ¬Â. No wonder why he terms INS Shardul as a ââ¬Åwarship with a differenceââ¬Â.
