Defence GRSE is building 17 warships for Indian Navy, says MD at keel laying of Next Generation patrol vessels
Kolkata/IBNS: Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), which formally stepped into the realm of constructing ‘Next Generation’ combat vessels on Tuesday by laying the keels of two NGOPVs (Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels), said they are manufacturing at least 17 warships for the Indian Navy besides one for Bangladesh.
“Currently we are executing 12 projects comprising 43 platforms. These include 17 warships for the Indian Navy, one warship for Bangladesh, 13 hybrid ferries and one fully electric ferry for West Bengal,” said GRSE Managing Director Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd) at the ceremony.
He said GRSE is also manufacturing one oceanographic research vessel for the Ministry of Earth Sciences, one acoustic research vessel for DRDO arm NPOL, and one autonomous platform for another DRDO organisation NSTL besides executing two more export orders from Bangladesh and five multipurpose vessels ordered by a German client.
Cmde PR Hari highlighted the shipyard’s performance and said besides warships, specialized research vessels and autonomous platforms they are also producing Green energy vessels.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose at the NGOPV keel laying ceremony of GRSE. Photo by Avishek Mitra/IBNS
“Considering our current order book, the execution strategy for the ongoing projects, we are confident of maintaining our technology driven growth,” he said in the presence of senior officials from the Indian Navy, ICG, IAF, Indian Army & GRSE.
“It’s always nice to see the Whites along with Blues and the Olive Green,” he said referring to the three defence services and the colours that identify them.
In the past, GRSE has built and delivered several Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. The shipyard also built the OPV CGS Barracuda, the first warship exported by India to Mauritius in 2014.
“We believe that GRSE epitomises our 'Make in India' efforts. We have till now delivered 72 warships to the Indian Navy and 36 to the Indian Coast Guard," he said. “We are the only Indian shipyard to deliver a century of warships to the Indian maritime forces,” he said.
GRSE Managing Director Cmde P R Hari with West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose at the ceremony. Photo by Avishek Mitra/IBNS
“As the shipyard is flushed with workload we are very happy to see every nook and corner of the shipyard buzzing with the activities,” he said.
“Our USP is our product diversity that ranges from warships to weapons,” he said.
The NGOPVs will be much larger warships than the OPVs built earlier, and have greater endurance and firepower, he said.
“I am very confident of the multirole capability of these NGOPVs. The production of all the four ships have already commenced and two ships’ keels shall be laid today,” he said.
Senior Indian Navy, Indian Army and Indian Airforce officials were present at the GRSE keel laying ceremony of NGOPVs. Photo by Avishek Mitra/IBNS
These platforms will be about 113 metres long and 14.6 metres wide, with a displacement of 3,000 Tons.
The NGOPVs will achieve speeds of up to 23 knots. Their endurance will be 8,500 nautical miles at a speed of 14 knots. The crew will comprise 24 officers and over 100 sailors.
The NGOPVs will play a variety of roles. With a draught requirement of only 4 metres, they would be able to operate in coastal waters, protecting offshore assets, carrying out maritime interdiction, as well as visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations.
They will also be part of presence-cum-surveillance missions and mine warfare while having the capability to support special operations.
These warships will also participate in ‘Out of Area’ Contingency Operations, non-combatant evacuation, convoy operations, anti-piracy missions and counter-infiltration operations.
Apart from these, the vessels will take on poachers and traffickers, and participate in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as search and rescue missions.
GRSE Managing Director Cmde P R Hari with West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose at the ceremony. Photo by Avishek Mitra/IBNS
They will also be able to operate as hospital and COMINT ships apart from providing fleet maintenance support.
West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose, who was the chief guest at the function, lauded the efforts made by GRSE towards boosting the economy of the region.
Congratulating GRSE for building such state-of-the-art warships for India’s maritime defence forces, he said: “You have come together, kept together and worked together. The nation loves you.”
(Reporting by Anurag Singh / Images by Avishek Mitra)
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