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.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US turns to allies to tackle navy shipbuilding backlog]()
US turns to allies to tackle navy shipbuilding backlog
A White House memorandum acknowledges US Navy shipbuilding backlogs and a weakened industrial base, opening a formal path for South Korean and Japanese yards to help rebuild capacity.
-
![US Navy’s $275 billion BBGN plan hinges on shipyard transformation]()
US Navy’s $275 billion BBGN plan hinges on shipyard transformation
The US Navy’s planned nuclear-powered warship carries a US$275 billion price tag, but the greater story lies in the industrial overhaul needed to build it, from AI-enabled design to digital twins and modular construction.
-
![RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV]()
RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV
RTX told Shephard that the Hadalus UUV has been procured by the US Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research for operational experimentation as the company prepares additional demonstrations with the US Navy, NATO and AUKUS partners.
-
![Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand]()
Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand
Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.
