New Delhi: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) on Wednesday held the plate cutting ceremony for Yard 16404, the fourth vessel in a series of six Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) being built for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The event took place in Mumbai in the presence of Inspector General N.G. Raveendran, Deputy Director General (Technical), ICG Eastern Seaboard, and A. Vinod, Executive Director (Shipbuilding), MDL, along with senior officials from both organisations.
The 117-metre-long NGOPVs are designed, developed, and built indigenously. Each vessel will be capable of reaching speeds up to 23 knots and covering an operational range of 5,000 nautical miles. They will be equipped with advanced technologies including AI-based predictive maintenance systems, remote piloted drones, Integrated Bridge System, and Integrated Platform Management System.
Once commissioned, the NGOPVs will enhance the Coast Guard’s capability to safeguard India’s maritime interests. Each vessel will have accommodation for 11 officers and 110 personnel.
The NGOPV project was contracted on December 20, 2023, under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category of defence procurement. It is aligned with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, highlighting India’s focus on strengthening indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities.
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