Will India’s ₹33,000-Crore LPDs Become True LHDs? The Big Question Behind the Navy’s Amphibious Flagship Program

The Indian Navy’s long-awaited Landing Platform Dock (LPD) project — a ₹33,000-crore program for four massive amphibious assault ships — remains one of the most intriguing yet least understood defense initiatives in India’s naval modernization drive. With bids expected from L&T and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) under the “Make in India” framework, speculation is mounting over whether these future vessels will emerge as true Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) — capable of operating advanced aircraft — or remain limited to conventional LPD roles focused on troop and vehicle transport.

LPD or LHD: Where Does the Line Blur?

At its core, an LPD (Landing Platform Dock) serves as a transport and amphibious operations ship — designed to carry troops, armored vehicles, and landing craft to hostile shores. An LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock), however, goes a step further — featuring a full-length flight deck and hangars to launch helicopters and vertical takeoff/landing (VTOL) aircraft.

For India, this distinction is crucial. The Indian Navy’s vision of expeditionary capability, especially in the Indo-Pacific, will hinge on whether these vessels can serve as sea-control platforms or remain limited to amphibious logistics. If New Delhi opts for an LHD-style configuration, it would give India its first mini aircraft carrier-class amphibious ships, capable of supporting helicopters, UAVs, and potentially even future STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) jets.

Landing Platform Dock vs Landing Helicopter Dock: Understanding the Difference

A Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) share a common role in enabling amphibious operations but differ sharply in capability and design philosophy. An LPD is primarily built for transporting troops, armored vehicles, and landing craft to shore, featuring a well deck for amphibious operations and a small flight deck that supports a few helicopters for logistics and assault missions. An LHD, on the other hand, takes the concept further — designed with a full-length flight deck and larger hangars, it can launch and recover multiple helicopters and even STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) aircraft, such as the F-35B. This makes the LHD functionally closer to a light aircraft carrier, capable of sustained air operations, command-and-control, and power projection. In essence, while an LPD focuses on amphibious transport and support, an LHD serves as a multirole aviation-capable flagship, blending amphibious warfare with air superiority.

Budget vs Capability: What Does ₹33,000 Crore Buy?

The sanctioned amount — roughly ₹33,000 crore for four ships — sets a clear cost ceiling. That figure is ambitious, especially if the Navy expects displacement above 25,000 tons, a through-deck design, and advanced aviation facilities.

For comparison, a single Spanish Juan Carlos I-class LHD costs over $1 billion, while the South Korean Dokdo-class hovers around $700 million per unit. India’s budget averages around $990 million per ship, leaving limited space for exotic systems — but still sufficient for a hybrid design, one that balances amphibious transport with aviation capability.

In essence, India might end up with an LPD+, a vessel that sits between a true LHD and a heavy transport dock — large enough for helicopter operations and UAV launches but without a full carrier-style air wing.

The EMLS Factor: A Game Changer for UAV Launches

One of the most promising technologies that could shift the balance is DRDO’s Electromagnetic Launch System (EMLS). Currently under advanced testing, the EMLS can launch payloads up to 400 kilograms over a span of 16–18 meters, making it ideal for tactical UAVs, loitering munitions, and light strike drones.

Integrating EMLS into the upcoming LPD/LHD design would dramatically enhance the ship’s strike and surveillance envelope. UAVs could be launched without depending solely on helicopters, giving the Navy persistent aerial reconnaissance and precision strike capability far beyond visual range.

Even at this stage, DRDO’s EMLS serves as a proof-of-concept for India’s eventual EMALS, a larger system intended for future aircraft carriers like INS Vishal. By first deploying it aboard LPDs, India could test, refine, and scale the technology in operational environments — a smart, incremental approach to achieving carrier-class capability.

Strategic Context: Beyond Amphibious Operations

India’s growing focus on the Andaman & Nicobar Command, Maritime Domain Awareness, and island-chain defense strategy aligns perfectly with the LPD/LHD concept. These ships would not only deploy Marines, vehicles, and supplies during contingencies but also function as floating command centers, UAV hubs, and disaster-response platforms in the Indian Ocean.

If designed with a through-deck and modular launch zones, the ships could support unmanned systems, rotary-wing AEW (Airborne Early Warning) assets, and even short-range UCAVs — bringing the Indian Navy closer to a networked, multi-domain amphibious fleet.

Balancing Ambition with Realism

Ultimately, whether India’s four LPDs turn into genuine LHDs depends on political will, industrial maturity, and naval doctrine. A conservative design would yield highly capable transport docks — valuable but limited. A more ambitious design, however, could mark India’s entry into the class of blue-water powers that deploy multi-role amphibious carriers.

With DRDO’s EMLS maturing, domestic shipyards ready, and strategic necessity pressing from two maritime fronts, the question isn’t just about size or tonnage anymore — it’s about vision.

Will the Indian Navy settle for an LPD, or will it quietly build the foundation of a next-generation LHD fleet?