New Delhi. The treacherous maritime border of Gujarat’s Kutch region has long posed a unique, multi-layered logistical nightmare for border defence forces. Navigating the 96-kilometre-long tidal estuary known as Sir Creek requires traversing an unpredictable shifting landscape that is neither completely solid ground nor navigable deep water.
During low tide, standard military patrol boats frequently run aground on sudden sandbanks, while heavy wheeled ground vehicles inevitably sink into the thick, treacherous mudflats. Recognising this critical mobility gap, India’s Ministry of Defence has issued a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure a specialised fleet of rigid-hull amphibious combat crafts designed to transition seamlessly across water, marshes and land.
The fast-tracked procurement plan outlines the acquisition of nearly a dozen high-speed amphibious vessels. Under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ classification guidelines, the contract mandates that these vessels feature a minimum of 60% indigenous components.
The distribution of the upcoming fleet targets two primary strategic areas: seven boats are earmarked for the Indian Army’s specialised Corps of Engineers units stationed in Gujarat, while four will be handed to the Indian Navy.
The naval units intend to split their assets between coastal security operations in Mumbai and remote forward deployments at Port Blair within the Andaman and Nicobar Command, directly checking foreign expansion in the broader Indian Ocean.
The technical specifications required by the military showcase a rugged, high-performance platform. Out at sea, the craft must hit intercept speeds exceeding 40 knots while providing integrated ballistic hull protection and both forward and aft heavy weapon mounts.
Once the vessel reaches the shoreline, a hydraulic system lowers heavy-duty retractable legs, engaging an all-wheel-drive system that allows the vehicle to climb 15-degree mud slopes and hit land speeds up to 15 kilometres per hour.
Additionally, the hulls are designed to fit securely inside heavy tank transporters for road movement, as well as within the cargo bays of C-17 and IL-76 strategic transport aircraft for rapid inter-theatre deployment during active conflicts.
The immediate trigger for the defence upgrade stems from rising regional security anxieties. The unresolved decades-old dispute over Sir Creek – where Pakistan claims the boundary lines hug the eastern bank while India argues for a mid-channel Thalweg boundary – has left a vulnerable, un-demarcated zone.
Historically exploited by smugglers, cross-border infiltration teams and rogue fishing trawlers, the area has seen a renewed focus after recent intelligence reports flagged fortified Pakistani infrastructure and forward bunkers popping up post-Operation Sindoor.
By replacing disjointed single-terrain vehicles with a unified, cross-environment platform, the new amphibious fleet aims to establish absolute tactical dominance over the swampy border frontier, closing security loopholes before they can be exploited.
