L&T launches Indian Coast Guard’s third OPV
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has launched the Indian Coast Guard’s third Vikram class offshore patrol vessel at its Kattupalli shipyard, the company announced on 28 August.
L&T is building seven OPVs under a contract awarded by the Indian Ministry of Defence in March 2015. The OPVs are to be delivered to the coast guard between 2018 and 2021.
Each 97m long, 15m wide OPV 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 equipped to operate helicopters and will conduct coastal and offshore patrol, police maritime zones, and perform control and surveillance, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy operations with limited wartime roles.
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