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
-
![Belgium and the Netherlands sign up for BAE Systems’ naval gun]()
Belgium and the Netherlands sign up for BAE Systems’ naval gun
The Bofors 40Mk4, a compact and lightweight naval gun system, has been designed for anti-aircraft and anti-surface warfare operations to act against air, land and sea-based threats.
-
![Insight: What is the way forward for the propulsion systems of conventional submarines?]()
Insight: What is the way forward for the propulsion systems of conventional submarines?
Recent advancements in lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology have led to a resurgence of conventional diesel-electric submarines. As a result, shipbuilders like Naval Group have opted to move away from air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems and instead focus on a range of submarines equipped with a full LIB configuration.
-
![Saab to launch next-generation electronic warfare sensor at Euronaval]()
Saab to launch next-generation electronic warfare sensor at Euronaval
The new U/SME-400 will operate in a broad signal spectrum and will have multiple uses.
-
![HII signs $3 billion national defence contract with US DoD]()
HII signs $3 billion national defence contract with US DoD
The contract will let the company feed into the US DoD’s LOGIX programme.
-
![US Navy extends life of 12 Arleigh Burke destroyers]()
US Navy extends life of 12 Arleigh Burke destroyers
The decision is intended to squeeze the Navy’s prize assets in a fiscally challenging economy.
