Indian Amphibious Warfare
Capabilities: Two Front WAR
Scenario for Pakistan?
Outline
• Introduction
• Amphibious Operations
• Types of Amphibious Operations
• Indian Naval Doctrines
• Re-raising of 91 Infantry Brigade
• Amphibious Assault Ships
• Naval Exercises
• Future Order
• Conclusion
Introduction
• Indian military is currently pursuing the strategy of
amphibious operations and arming itself with capabilities that
will allow the Indian military to take the fight on the enemy
ashore.
• In 2008 India unveiled the joint doctrine for its amphibious
operations.
• The doctrine is meant to serve as a guideline on how the
armed forces intend to plan and conduct amphibious
operations and achieve full synergistic effect of joint combat
power.
Amphibious Operations
• Amphibious operations are joint military operations wherein
land power is projected ashore from the sea.
• In a typical amphibious operation (amphibious assault), naval
units embark land forces at ports, transport them by sea to
the designated area of operations, launch them against a
hostile or potentially hostile shore, and sustain them ashore
for the duration of the operation.
• “A landing on a foreign coast in the face of hostile troops has
always been one of the most difficult operations of war.”
(Captain Sir Basil H. Liddell Hart)
Types of Amphibious Operations
• There are four recognized types of amphibious operations:
1. Amphibious demonstration.
2. Amphibious raid.
3. Amphibious assault.
4. Amphibious withdrawal.
Amphibious Operations & Joint
Doctrine 2017
• Strategic payoffs in a conflict will be predominantly influenced
through results of action on land.
• This is achieved jointly with other elements of National and
Military power.
• Amphibious operations are Joint Military operations wherein
land power is projected ashore from the sea.
• Amphibious operations may be conducted in order to capture
or re-capture territories, obtain a site for an advance naval
base or air base, deny the use of an area or facilities like a
port to the enemy, further land operations from ashore, or to
show presence.
Amphibious Operations & 2018 Land
Warfare Doctrine
• A Rapid Reaction Force comprising Integrated Battle
Groups with strategic lift and amphibious capability
will be an imperative for force projection operations.
Re-raising of 91 Infantry Brigade
• In February 2009 the Indian Army re-raised 91 Infantry
Brigade in amphibious role comprising of 3 infantry Battalions
and a strength of 3,000 personnel.
• The soldiers have been drawn from the Sikh, Gorkhas and
Madras regiments.
• The new amphibious brigade, is modelled on the lines of the
Indian Navy’s marine commandos and specializing in land and
marine warfare.
• Experts see it as a necessary adjunct to meet India’s security
challenges.
Re-raising of 91 Infantry Brigade
• In February 2009 the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force
jointly conducted the largest ever amphibious exercise
codenamed “EXERCISE TROPEX-2009” at Madhavpur beach in
Gujarat.
• This was the first time the joint doctrine on amphibious
warfare of the Indian Armed Forces which was formulated last
year was put into practice with its full scope.
• Tanks, armored personnel carriers and Infantry troops of 91
Infantry Brigade of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps participated
in both stand-off and hard beaching modes.
Amphibious Assault Ships
Ship Class Classification Capability Quantity
Jalashwa class landing Platform 9 LCM or 4 LCM 01
Dock and 2 LCAC; 930 troops
Magar class Landing Ship Tank capacity 15 MBT or 8 APC or 10 02
trucks; 500 troops
Shardul class Landing Ship Tank capacity 11 MBT or 03
8 APC or 10 trucks; 500 troops
Kumbhir class Landing Craft Utility capacity 5 MBT or 03
5 APC; 160 troops
N/A Landing Craft Utility capacity 1 Arjun MBT/2 T-90 08
MBT/4 IFV/160 troops)
Naval Exercises
Name Objectives Year
Triveni The exercise included large scale amphibious forces, Special 2009
Forces, IAF elements.
AMPHEX-411 The exercise validated various facets of interoperability and 2011
concepts in the field of amphibious warfare.
Madad A biennial exercise, Madad, was aimed at sharpening ‘joint 2018
war-fighting capabilities and enhance operational synergy’.
AMPHEX-13 The exercise included a Training Phase and a Tactical Phase. 2013
It saw the deployment of over 2000 Army alongwith
associated tanks/
troop/ arms and assets of Infantry Brigade.
Jal Prahar An amphibious training exercise (Jal Prahar 14) was 2014
conducted in the A&N Islands. The exercise had
representation from all the three Services.
Naval Exercises
Name Objectives Year
AMPHEX-19 Amphibious landings were exercised at 2019
Radhanagar beach on Swaraj Dweep
TIGER TRIUMPH The maiden India–USA Joint amphibious 2019
exercise.
AMPHEX – 21 The exercise involved multi-faceted maritime 2021
operations by synergized employment of
amphibious assault ships, surveillance
platforms, execution of maritime airstrikes and
complex maneuvers at sea.
No-Name Operational demonstration of amphibious 2021
assault by infantry troops on beach.
INS Jalashwa
Landing Craft Utility (LCU)
Magar Class Ship
Indian troops assaulting on beach in AMPHEX – 21
Indian troops assaulting on beach in AMPHEX – 21
Future Order
Future Order
Future Order
Conclusion
• Indian military at the moment can not launch
massive amphibious assault on Pakistani shores
because they lack the required resources.
• However, the modernization program is going on and
India will eventually have the capability in next five to
eight years.
• It is time for Pakistani security establishment to take
this threat seriously before its too late.
