Vard Marine to design landing craft for Bangladesh Navy.

According to a PR published by Vard Marine on November 30, 2022, the firm has been awarded the contract to design a 70m Landing Craft Tank by Khulna Shipyard Ltd.
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Artist rendering of the Vard 7 507 Landing Craft Series (Picture source: Vard Marine)

The design contract was signed in October 2022 and work is now underway on the program. The ship-building contract awarded to Khulna Shipyard Ltd of Bangladesh by the Bangladesh Navy will be a multi-stage program.

Based on the Vard 7 507 Landing Craft Series, these vessels are intended to operate in the Bay of Bengal to meet both wartime and peacetime requirements along the coast from Chattogram to St Martins and Mongla.

The vessels are designed primarily for carrying out amphibious operations in the coastal areas of Bangladesh and for transporting landing forces, tanks, equipment, and supplies.

The vessels’ secondary missions during peacetime will be to transport relief goods and personnel for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) within Bangladesh and adjacent areas along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

The Bangladesh Navy is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's 118,813 square kilometers (45,874 sq mi) of maritime territorial area, and the defence of important harbours, military bases, and economic zones.

The Bangladesh Navy currently operates two submarines, five guided missile frigates, two patrol frigates, six guided missile corvettes, minor surface combatants of various types including offshore patrol vessels, coastal patrol boats, missile boats, minesweepers, auxiliaries, amphibious landing craft, and rapid response boats.

The country currently has 9 Landing Craft Utilities, four BN LCUs, two Swandwip class LCUs, two LCU 1512 class, and one Shah Amanat class.