The inaugural keel laying ceremony for the first Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) took place at Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) in Goa on 03 May 2024. Vice Adm. B Siva Kumar, Controller Warship Production & Acquisition, chaired the event, joined by Shri B K Upadhyay, Chairman & Managing Director of GSL, alongside senior officials from the Indian Navy and GSL.
Contracts for the design and construction of 11 NGOPVs were finalised on 30 March 2023, between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and GSL in Goa, and M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata. GSL, as the Lead Shipyard, will construct seven vessels, while Garden Reach Shipbuilders will build four as the Follow Shipyard.
These NGOPVs are versatile platforms designed for various missions including Anti-Piracy operations, Coastal Defence & Surveillance, Search & Rescue, and the Protection of Offshore Assets. They will bolster the Indian Navy’s capability to safeguard the nation’s economic and geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean Region. This development marks another significant stride in the Indian Navy’s commitment to indigenous shipbuilding, aligning with the nation’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and Make in India initiatives.
Photo Courtesy: PIB.Gov.in
