The Ministry of Defence has approved the establishment of a new facility to test indigenous marine engines and electric propulsion systems that will power future warships of the Navy.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body of the Ministry of Defence, yesterday cleared the proposal for setting up a Land-Based Testing Facility (LBTF) for electric propulsion systems.
The move comes amid India’s ongoing collaboration with the UK to develop and manufacture advanced marine engines in the country. Sources said such engines must undergo extensive real-time testing across multiple iterations and under varied operating conditions before they can be integrated into naval platforms, making the testing facility a critical component of the programme.
In 2022, India and the UK announced a partnership on electric propulsion capability following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In a joint statement, the two countries announced the formation of a joint working group to promote military and industrial collaboration in maritime electric propulsion systems.
Later that year, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GE Power Conversion as part of efforts to advance cooperation in the field. GE Power Conversion has played a key role in developing the UK’s electric propulsion capability, which is currently deployed on Royal Navy destroyers and aircraft carriers.
In November 2024, the defence ministries of India and the UK signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on cooperation in the design and development of electric propulsion systems.
The SoI provides a framework for collaboration in the co-design, co-development and co-production of electric propulsion capabilities for future naval platforms. The Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) planned to be constructed at an Indian shipyard are expected to be equipped with a full electric propulsion system.