Keel laid for India's first Next-Gen Offshore Patrol Vessel

The keel-laying ceremony of Yard 16401, the first of the six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), was held at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, on Tuesday. 

 

The 117-meter-long vessel will have a range of 5,000 nautical miles, a crew capacity of 11 officers and 110 personnel, and a top speed of 23 knots. 

 

These will be equipped with advanced technologies such as AI-based predictive maintenance, remote piloted drones, integrated bridge system (IBS), and integrated platform management system (IPMS).

 

Chief Staff Officer (Tech), ICG Regional Headquarters (North West), Deputy Inspector General R.H. Nandodkar, presided over the ceremony in the presence of Executive Director (Ship Building), MDL, A Vinod and senior officials from the Coast Guard and MDL. 

 

The NGOPVs are being constructed under a contract signed on December 20, 2023. They are fully indigenous under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, aligned with the government of India's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

 

NGOPVs are intended to bolster India's maritime domain awareness and enforcement capabilities, protecting both national coastal and offshore assets. They will also enhance the search and rescue capabilities of the Coast Guard, and support a wide range of naval and paramilitary maritime operations.

Maritime