New Delhi: In a significant step towards enhancing its operational logistics capabilities, the Indian Navy inducted the 10th Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) Barge, LSAM 24 (Yard 134), during a formal ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on April 22. The event was graced by Commodore AKK Reddy, AGM (Production and Repairs), Naval Dockyard (Mumbai), as the Chief Guest.
The ACTCM Barges are critical logistical assets designed to facilitate the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of ammunition and other essential articles to and from naval platforms, both alongside jetties and in outer harbours. The induction of these barges is set to significantly bolster the Indian Navy’s operational efficiency and readiness.
The contract for the construction and delivery of eleven ACTCM Barges was awarded to Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane, an MSME shipyard, on March 5, 2021. The shipyard has indigenously designed these barges in partnership with an Indian ship design firm. The designs were rigorously model-tested at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam to ensure their seaworthiness. The barges have been built in accordance with the naval rules and regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
With nine ACTCM Barges already delivered, the induction of LSAM 24 marks a milestone in the progress of the project. The shipyard’s continued collaboration with the Indian Navy has also been reinforced through the recent awarding of a contract for the construction and delivery of four sullage barges, further underscoring the Navy’s commitment to supporting domestic manufacturing and MSMEs.
These indigenously built platforms stand as proud representatives of the Government of India’s flagship initiatives—‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’—reflecting a strong push towards self-reliance in defence production.
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