Landing Craft Utility commissioned into Navy

Indigenously built Landing Craft Utility L56,the sixth ship of the LCU MK IV class, was commissioned into the Indian Navy Monday.

It was commissioned into the Navy by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain ata ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard here.

The Vice Admiral congratulated theGarden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata,for being the first shipyard in the country to have built the 100th warship.

The ship will be deployed for multi-role activities such as beaching operations, search and rescue missions, disaster relief operations, coastal patrol, and surveillance operations along the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands.

He later unveiled the Commissioning Plaque and dedicated the ship to the nation.

Vice Admiral AK Saxena, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition Ministry of Defence, Maj General Biji Mathew, Chief of Staff, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), Commodore Ashutosh Ridhorkar, Naval Component Commander (NAVCC) ANC, Rear Admiral VK Saxena (Retd) CMD, GRSE alongwith all Flag Officers of ENC and other dignitaries were present during the commissioning ceremony.

LCU 56 is an amphibious ship with its primary role being transportation and deployment of Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, Troops and Equipment from ship to shore and vice versa, according to a navy release.

LCU L56 would be administered and based inPort Blair under the NAVCC in ANC.

With a displacement of 900 tons, the ship measures 62 metres in length and is fitted with two MTU diesel engines, which provide a sustainable speed of over 15 knots.

The ship is equipped with the state-of-artequipment andis armed with two 30mm CRN-91 guns manufactured by Ordnance factory Medak.