INS Shardul (2004)

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

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]

INS Shardul (L16) at Port Luis, Mauritius
History
India
Name	INS Shardul
Namesake	Royal Bengal tiger[1]
Ordered	2003
Builder	Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Launched	3 April 2004
Commissioned	4 January 2007
Identification	Pennant number: L16 MMSI number: 419061200
Motto	All for one, One for all
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class & type	Shardul-class tank landing ship
Displacement	5650 tons
Length	125 m (410 ft)
Beam	17.5 m (57 ft)
Draught	4 m (13 ft)
Propulsion	Kirloskar PA6 STC engines
Speed	16 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
Troops	500
Complement	11 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 carried	1 Westland Sea King or HAL Dhruv

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]

On 1 October 2024, Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (1TS), including INS Tir, INS Shardul and ICGS Veera, reached Bandar Abbas, Iran for training purposes. The Indian flotilla was greeted by IRIS Zereh (P235) of the Iran Navy. The objective of the visit was enhancing maritime cooperation and interoperability.^[8][9][10] On 5 October 2024, the First Training Squadron reached Muscat, Oman, the third time in the last decade. The flotilla will stay their until 9 October.^[11] On 12 October 2024, INS Shardul reached Port Rashid at Dubai, UAE.^[12] On 16 October 2024, Shardul concluded her visit to Dubai with a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the United Arab Emirates Navy's Al Quwaisat.^[13] INS Shardul will participate in the International Fleet Review 2025 and take part in Indonesia's Exercise Komodo, along with a P-8I MPA from 15 Feb to 22 Feb 2025.^[14][15]

On 1 September 2025, as part of the First Training Squadron (1TS), along with INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi, the ship 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, reached Maputo, Mozambique, for a four-day visit. The four-day visit included bilateral exercises with the Mozambique Navy as well as visit of 1TS trainees to various training establishments of the Mozambique Defence Forces including Marine Commando School at Katembe, Sargent School at Boane, and the Army Practising School at Manhica. The visit concluded with a PASSEX and joint surveillance of Mozambique EEZ.^[18] The squadron departed on 19 September with the next port call scheduled at Mombasa.^[19] The squadron also visited La Réunion during the deployment. On 25 September, the ships called at the Mombasa, Kenya.^[20] On 28 September, the fleet departed and conducted PASSEX with KNS Shupavu (P3130) of the Kenya Navy.^[21]