New Delhi: The first indigenously developed offshore patrol vessel – ICGS Vikram – was commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard at Kattupalli Port on Wednesday.
Designed and built by Larsen and Toubro the ICGS Vikram is the ‘First of Class’ of seven new generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) contracted by defence ministry to L&T in March 2015, under government’s initiative of ‘Make in India.’
The platform, which has been named ICGS Vikram, was officially inducted on 11 April in a ceremony officiated by Indian Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre. Larsen & Toubro was awarded the contract in March 2015 for seven vessels for USD220 million.
The OPV was launched in October 2017 at Larsen & Toubro’s Kattupali shipyard, while a second ship in the programme was lowered into the water in January 2018. Vikram inherits the name and hull number of the first ship in a class of nine that was in service with the Indian Coast Guard since 1983 and began retiring in 2012. Currently, ICG operates a single ship, ICGS Vigraha, in this older class of vessels.
According to a report by Jane’s 360, the new Vikram class has an overall length of 97 m, an overall beam of 15 m, and a hull draught of 3.6 m. The platform has a top speed of 26 kt, and a standard range of 5000 n miles at 12 kt. The ship’s construction design and construction processes have undergone dual certifications from the American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Registrar of Shipping.
The vessel can accommodate a helicopter on its flight deck to augment its search-and-rescue (SAR), and maritime patrol capabilities. In addition, it also has modern radars; navigation and communication systems; front propulsion pods providing high maneuverability. The ship can also carry two rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), on davits that are located on the port and starboard, for maritime interdiction operations.
(With Inputs from MEA)
