INS Shardul (2004)

For other ships with the same name, see INS Shardul.

INS Shardul (L16) at Port Luis, Mauritius
History
India
NameINS Shardul
NamesakeRoyal Bengal tiger[1]
Ordered2003
BuilderGarden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Launched3 April 2004
Commissioned4 January 2007
Identification
MottoAll for one, One for all
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class & typeShardul-class tank landing ship
Displacement5650 tons
Length125 m (410 ft)
Beam17.5 m (57 ft)
Draught4 m (13 ft)
PropulsionKirloskar PA6 STC engines
Speed16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Capacity
  • 11 MBT, 10 vehicles
  • 465.8 m3 (16,450 cu ft) water, 1,292.6 m3 (45,650 cu ft) diesel fuel
Troops500
Complement11 officers, 145 sailors
Electronic warfare
& decoys		Chaff launchers
Armament
  • 2 × WM-18 rocket launchers
  • 4 × CRN-91 AA (Naval 30mm Medak) guns, MANPAD's.
Aircraft carried1 Westland Sea King or HAL Dhruv

INS Shardul (L16) (lit. 'Tiger') is the lead ship of the Shardul-class tank landing ship of the Indian Navy. On 3 October 2008, Shardul was affiliated to the 5 Armoured Regiment of the Indian Army in an on-board ceremony, at the Mumbai Naval Base.[2][3][4]

History

Shardul started sea trials on 3 November 2006 and was commissioned into the Indian Navy, on 4 January 2007 by the then Defence Minister A. K. Antony at the naval base INS Kadamba in Karwar. The ship was based at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi to train cadets before their commissioning onboard INS Kesari and INS Airavat.[5] In March 2017 the ship was deployed on a two-month long deployment in the Southern Indian Ocean to provide surveillance support in the region.[6] On March 10, 2020, INS Shardul arrived at Port Antsiranana with relief material for Madagascar, after Cyclone Diane and floods earlier in the year. 600 tonnes of rice were handed over. This is the biggest relief load ever carried by any Indian warship.[7]

2024

This section is an excerpt from 1st Training Squadron § 2024.[edit]

On 1 October 2024, Indian Navy's 1st Training Squadron (1TS), including INS Tir (A86), INS Shardul (L16) and ICGS Veera (35), reached Bandar Abbas, Iran for training purposes. The Indian flotilla was greeted by IRIS Zereh (P235) of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy. The objective of the visit was enhancing maritime cooperation and interoperability.[8][9][10] On 5 October, the 1st Training Squadron reached Muscat, Oman, the third time in the last decade. The flotilla was docked there until 9 October.[11] On 12 October, Tir and Veera reached Port of Manama, Bahrain.[12] On 12 October 2024, Shardul reached Port Rashid at Dubai, UAE.[12] On 16 October, Shardul concluded her visit to Dubai with a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the United Arab Emirates Navy's Al Quwaisat.[13]

2025

INS Shardul participated in the International Fleet Review 2025 and took part in Exercise Komodo hosted by the Indonesian Navy, along with a P-8I MPA from 15 to 22 Feb 2025.[14][15]

This section is an excerpt from 1st Training Squadron § 2025.[edit]

On 1 September 2025, INS Tir, INS Shardul and ICGS Sarathi (18), as part of the 1st Training Squadron (1TS), reached Port Victoria, Seychelles on a long-range deployment to the South Western Indian Ocean Region.[16] The visit included professional interaction with the crew of ESPS Navarra (F85) of the Spanish Navy who also visited the country during the period. The squadron departed the port on 4 September.[17] On 16 September, the squadron, led by Captain Tijo K Joseph and joined by INS Sujata (P56), reached Maputo, Mozambique, for a four-day visit. The visit included bilateral exercises with the Mozambique Navy as well as visit of 1TS trainees to various training establishments of the Mozambique Defence Forces. The visit will conclude with a PASSEX and joint surveillance of Mozambique EEZ.[18] The squadron also visited La Réunion during the deployment. On 25 September, the ships called at the Mombasa, Kenya.[19] On 28 September, the fleet departed and conducted PASSEX with KNS Shupavu (P3130) of the Kenya Navy.[20]

2026

This section is an excerpt from 1st Training Squadron § 2026.[edit]

INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi were deployed on an long-range training deployment (LRTD) to the South East Asia to train officer cadets from 110th Integrated Officers’ Training Course (IOTC). As part of the deployment, the squadron would take port calls at Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. The course includes six international officer trainees. The deployment will also include officers from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.[21]

On 15 January, the squadron called at Changi Naval Base, Singapore. Meanwhile, 2026 the has been designated ASEAN–India Year of Maritime Cooperation 2026.[22][23] The Navy held harbour activities with the Republic of Singapore Navy. The Senior Officer 1TS and Commanding Officers visited the Commander of Maritime Training and Doctrine Command (MTDC).[24] The ships departed Singapore on 18 January.[25]

On 20 January, the ships reached Port of Belawan, Indonesia.[26] They departed the port on 23 January.[27]

On 25 January, the ships reached Phuket Deep Sea Port, Phuket, Thailand. Indian Navy regularly conducts Exercise Ayutthaya and Indo–Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) with the Royal Thai Navy. India will also take over the chairmanship of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium from Thailand starting February 2026.[28] The visit concluded on 28 January as the ships left the port along with HTMS Huahin for a Passage Exercise (PASSEX).[29]

On 18 February, the ships also participated at the International Fleet Review 2026 held at Visakapatanam.[30]

References

  1. ^ Habbu, R.S. (5 January 2007). "INS Shardul dedicated". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. ^ "5 Armoured Regiment". GlobalSecurity.org. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Surface Ships". Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Shardul Class". Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  5. ^ 'INS Shardul' engaged in training for naval cadets Archived 2 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Indian navy's INS Shardul to provide surveillance support in Indian Ocean region". Hindustan Times. IANS. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  7. ^ "India delivers 600 tonnes of rice to flood-hit Madagascar". New Indian Express. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  8. ^ "India docks naval warships at Iran port as war escalates. Is this a strategic response to the Middle-East strife?". The Economic Times. 4 October 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Navy ships in Iran as part of training". The Times of India. 2 October 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Amid Middle East Tensions, Indian Warships Dock in Iran – A Bold Strategic Move". Financialexpress. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  11. ^ "LONG RANGE TRAINING DEPLOYMENT OF FIRST TRAINING SQUADRON TO MUSCAT, OMAN". Press Information Bureau. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b "VISIT OF FIRST TRAINING SQUADRON TO BAHRAIN AND UAE". Press Information Bureau. 13 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  13. ^ "INS Shardul concludes port visit at Dubai" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Indian Navy platforms arrive in Indonesia to participate in the International Fleet Review 25, and the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Navy's surveillance aircraft, naval ship arrive in Indonesia amid BrahMos deal". India Today. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  16. ^ Trivedi, Saurabh (2 September 2025). "Indian Navy's first training squadron docks in Seychelles on long-range deployment". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  17. ^ "First Training Squadron arrives at Maputo, Mozambique" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  18. ^ "First Training Squadron arrives at Maputo, Mozambique" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron makes port call at Mombasa, Kenya" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS) concludes port call at Mombasa, Kenya" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  21. ^ "Long Range Training Deployment of Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS) to South East Asia" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  22. ^ "ASEAN-India Summit 2025: Modi declares 2026 as the 'year of ASEAN-India maritime cooperation'". The Economic Times. 26 October 2025. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  23. ^ "PM Modi Proclaims 2026 as ASEAN-India Maritime Cooperation Year". Maritime Fairtrade. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  24. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS) arrives at Changi Naval Base, Singapore" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  25. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron departs Singapore" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  26. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS) makes port call at Belawan, Indonesia" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  27. ^ "First Training Squadron of Indian Navy strengthens maritime bonds at Indonesia" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  28. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS) arrives at Phuket Deep Sea Port, Thailand" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  29. ^ "Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS) concludes visit to Phuket Deep Sea Port, Thailand" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  30. ^ "IFR & MILAN 2026". IFR & MILAN 2026. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
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