Exploring Defence Ties With S. Korea and Thailand

India wants to indigenously build four specialised amphibious assault ships, also called Landing Platform Docks (LPD) , which will be the biggest-ever made in the country other than the under-construction 40,000-tonne sea-borne aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. With such plans in mind Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar went on a three-day visit to South Korea. South Korea is the world biggest ship maker and a possible partner in the project.

Each LPD carries, in its huge lower deck, hundreds of troops with tanks, vehicles and cargo. Such a ship can deliver men and equipment near a sea beach and does not need a berthing dock, hence providing the option for landing thousands of troops near a spot chosen to attack.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had re-issued a request for proposal (RFP) to Indian private sector shipyards in September last year. Each of these will approximately cost Rs 6,000 crore and are expected to be delivered over the next 10 years. Each of these ships will be between 35,000 and 40,000 tonnes. Indian shipyards have been asked to locate their own foreign collaborator. The RFP was sent to ABG, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering, the last one being recently purchased by Anil Ambani.

Foreign shipbuilders offering such ships include DCNS of France, Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Fincantieri of Italy, South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions Co and Navantia of Spain.

The successful private shipyard and its foreign collaborator will be given the order for two such ships and the two others will be made by the MoD-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, at the same price being paid to the private builder.

India has sought a vessel of 213m with endurance at sea for 45 days. The vessel must be able to house combat vehicles (including main battle tanks, infantry combat vehicles and heavy trucks on one or more vehicle deck) and the vessel should be able to undertake all-weather operations involving heavy lift helicopters up to 35 tonnes.

Parrikar said on 13 April, “Talks will include wide-ranging subjects including collaborations in defence products”. Capabilities of that country are known, he said. South Korea makes some 30 per cent of all ships worldwide. Parrikar clearly said that a government-to-government deal is the best in case of certain defence technologies.

In Korea, Parrikar met his South Korean counterpart Gen Han Min-Koo here and discussed ways to expand defence ties. Parrikar also met senior South Korean defence officlals, including National Security Advisor Kim Kwan-jin, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and minister of defence acquisition progremme administration.

The two countries agreed to intensify efforts to develop mutually-beneficial partnerships in defence production. A statement said the two defence ministers "focused on ways to expand contact" between the their defence establishments and building deep partnerships between their defence industries.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar paying homage at the National Cemetery, at Daejeon, in South Korea 

Exploring Joint Ventures with Thailand

India is exploring a joint production and development venture in defence with Thailand. A high-level defence delegation from Thailand led by its Permanent Secretary for Defence visited New Delhi in late March, to explore joint production and development, besides sourcing of arms.

The Indian side was keen to assist Thailand in setting up a defence industry and had proposed a visit to Indian facilities for the Thai side. While major platforms and systems will not be discussed now, a start can be made on systems that the ordnance factories manufacture - from explosives to small arms and defensive equipment, sources said.

Thailand was offering India an upgraded defence relationship. It is a strategically-placed neighbour with whom India shares common cultural linkages. India's joint defence production has so far been confined to Russia, France, the US and Israel. An upgraded Indo-Thai defence cooperation is also significant amid China's growing ambitions and defence manures in the region.

The Defence Ministry has been keen on engaging with Thailand. The first initiative was made in 2013 during a visit by then Defence Minister AK Antony in which he raised the matter of joint production with his Thai counterpart, Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat.

There has been a keen interest by the Thai side to engage with Indian scientists as well as learning from the experience of setting up defence production facilities.

Till now, the bilateral defence relation has been limited to joint exercises and training between the armed forces. Last year, General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Royal Thai Armed Forces visited India.

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