Kolkata: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd formally stepped into the realm of construction of ‘Next Generation’ warships on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, by laying the keels of two Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs). GRSE is building four NGOPVs for the Indian Navy. The chief guest at the occasion was Dr C V Ananda Bose, Governor of West Bengal.
The keel-laying ceremony was presided by the Governor of West Bengal Dr. CV Ananda Bose with Cmde P R Hari, IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, and senior officials from the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Air Force, Indian Army and GRSE.
In the past, GRSE has built and delivered several Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. The shipyard also built the OPV CGS Barracuda, the first warship exported by India to Mauritius in 2014. GRSE bagged the Defence Minister’s Award of Excellence for in-house Design Effort for that warship.
The contracts for indigenous design and construction of 11 NGOPVs were concluded in March 2023 between MoD and GSL, Goa for seven ships and GRSE, Kolkata for four ships.
The NGOPVs will be much larger warships than the OPVs built earlier, and have greater endurance and firepower. These platforms will be about 113 metres long and 14.6 metres wide, with a displacement of 3,000 Tons. The NGOPVs will achieve speeds of up to 23 knots. Their endurance will be 8,500 nautical miles at a speed of 14 knots. The crew will comprise 24 officers and over 100 sailors.
The NGOPVs will play a variety of roles. With a draught requirement of only 4 metres, they would be able to operate in coastal waters, protecting offshore assets, carrying out maritime interdiction, as well as visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations. They will also be part of presence-cum-surveillance missions and mine warfare while having the capability to support special operations.
These warships will also participate in ‘Out of Area’ Contingency Operations, non-combatant evacuation, convoy operations, anti-piracy missions and counter-infiltration operations. Apart from these, they will take on poachers and traffickers, and participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as search and rescue missions. They will also be able to operate as hospital and COMINT ships apart from providing fleet maintenance support.
Governor of West Bengal, Dr CV Ananda Bose while congratulating GRSE, expressed immense pride in India’s journey of becoming a formidable global power in shipbuilding, rivalling industry giants worldwide. He attributed this success to India’s powerful blend of vision and action, likening it to history’s greatest achievements. “First, it is born in the mind, then in the field,” he emphasised, noting that the achievements of GRSE are a testament to India’s progress and potential.
Cmde P R Hari, CMD, GRSE, highlighted the shipyard’s performance and said, “We are currently constructing 43 marine platforms and these include warships, specialised research vessels, autonomous platforms and Green energy vessels. Considering our current order book, the execution strategy for the ongoing projects, we are confident of maintaining our technology driven growth.”
The NGOPVs are envisaged for coastal defence and surveillance, protection of offshore assets and anti-piracy missions. The keel laying of the vessels is yet another significant milestone in Indian Navy’s pursuit towards indigenous shipbuilding in consonance with the nation’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’.
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