Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane laid the keel of four Coast Guard Fast Patrol vessels (FPVs) on 25 August at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
Speaking on the occasion, the Defence Secretary applauded the efforts of Goa Shipyard in achieving this milestone, especially the scale of indigenization in collaboration with the Indian industry.
He emphasized the importance of nurturing and developing the shipbuilding industry of the country which has had a rich legacy. While highlighting the major achievements of the Goa Shipyard, he emphasized that the industry is increasingly becoming competitive and urged the GSL to gear up in terms of efficiency and competitiveness in order to retain the cutting edge.
The FPV designed by GSL is a medium-range weapon-fitted surface vessel with a length of 51.43 meters, and a breadth of 8 meters. The ship is propelled by a twin engine and has a maximum speed of 27 Knots. Displacement of the vessel is approx. 320 Tons and it is capable of operating in rough sea conditions.
These vessels for the Indian Coast Guard are based on the in-house design of GSL and will be fitted with the most modern and technologically advanced machinery and computerized control systems, making these the state-of-the-art Fast Patrol Vessels of the Indian Coast Guard.