Indian Coast Guard commissions OPV
The Indian Coast Guard has commissioned its first of class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), ICGS Vikram, at Larsen and Toubro’s (L&T) Defence shipyard at Kattupalli, Tamilnadu, L&T announced on 11 April.
ICGS Vikram is the first of seven new generation OPVs being built by the shipyard under a contract with the Indian Ministry of Defence awarded in March 2015.
The vessel has completed harbour and sea trials prior to commissioning, and the ship’s design and construction process has been certified by the American Bureau of Shipping and the Indian Registrar of Shipping.
The OPVs are long-range surface ships, equipped to handle helicopter operations and capable of operating in Indian maritime zones including island territories. They will be used to conduct coastal and offshore patrol, control and surveillance, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy operations with limited wartime roles.
The vessel is 97m in length, 15m in width, has 3.6m draught and 2,140t displacement with a range of 5000 nautical miles. It can attain sustained speeds of up to 26kt. The OPVs are built with integrated platform management system and equipped with front propulsion pods high manoeuvrability.
Construction of the remaining OPVs is ongoing; OPV-2 has been launched and is being readied for harbour and sea trials.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Australia signs US$2.8 billion ship deal with Austal but puts pressure on company to deliver]()
Australia signs US$2.8 billion ship deal with Austal but puts pressure on company to deliver
The A$4 billion Landing Craft Heavy contract for Austal follows on from a A$1 billion deal in December for Landing Craft Medium ships, but the Australian government has made it clear that a contract for Mogami frigates is reliant on the success of these two contracts.
-
![Turkey targets Italian market with strategic partnership on USVs and hybrid platforms]()
Turkey targets Italian market with strategic partnership on USVs and hybrid platforms
Havelsan, VN Maritime and Piloda Defence will collaborate to develop and integrate a range of maritime solutions with a view to secure a first procurement contract in Italy in the first half of this year.
-
![Could Asia and the Middle East offer growth opportunities for Italy’s Fincantieri?]()
Could Asia and the Middle East offer growth opportunities for Italy’s Fincantieri?
Export campaigns for Fincantieri’s submarines and frigates are central to the company’s ambitions as billions of dollars in unawarded contracts come into focus.
