The ceremony was attended by Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE and other senior officials of the Indian Coast Guard and GRSE.
The other four ships in the series to be ready soon
The ship ICGS Priyadarshini is the first in the series. The remaining four ships are in advanced stages of construction, an official statement released by GRSE said. The FPV is a medium-range surface vessel capable of operations in the maritime zones of India. These powerful, fuel-efficient platforms are designed to perform multipurpose operations like patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and rescue operations. The entire design of these FPVs has been developed in-house by GRSE as per requirements specified by Indian Coast Guard.
The features of the FPV
The ship is 50 metres long, 7.5 metres wide with a displacement of around 308 tonnes. It is designed for a maximum speed of 34 knots with an endurance of more than 1,500 nautical miles and is equipped with three main engines with advanced control systems, water jet units and an integrated bridge system integrating all communication and navigation systems. The ships are also fitted with 40/60 gun as main armament and will also have improved habitability features with fully air-conditioned modular accommodation for 35 personnel.
FPV design exclusive to GRSE
The FPV designs, which are exclusive to GRSE, are an improvisation on the Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) built by the Shipyard for the Indian Coast Guard few years ago.
Having hit the 100-warship delivery mark in March 19, GRSE currently has a strong order book of around Rs 22,000 crores which equips the shipyard with a deep pool of revenue-generating projects.
The current status of GRSE's order book
At least 14 ships, which includes, 03 P17A, 01 ASWC, 04 Nos. Survey Vessels (Large), 02 LCUs, 04 FPVs, among others, are in various stages of construction and are expected to be delivered to the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard accordingly. Three ships of Project P17A Advanced Stealth Frigates are being constructed using Integrated Construction Technology, 3D Modeling concepts and latest software like Aveva Marine and NAPA.
GRSE has also been declared a successful bidder in competitive bidding for another 08 ASW- SWC ships for the Indian Navy, the contract for which is expected to be signed shortly.
GRSE enters Diamond Jubilee year
"GRSE has entered its Diamond Jubilee year of operations and with the commissioning of ICGS Priyadarshini today, GRSE has once again demonstrated its commitment to strengthening the maritime security of the nation, thereby living up to the aspirations that the country has reposed on this Mini- Ratna Category-I Shipyard," the statement said.
"GRSE has consolidated its position as the nation's leading shipyard by building a range of warships from world-class Frigates to Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes to Fast Attack Crafts and many more," it said.
