Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has commissioned the Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) 7th Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), ‘Vigraha’ at the Chennai Port. The OPV will be placed at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
- This is the 1st time that a private sector shipyard (L&T) has designed & constructed an OPV ship.
- Vigraha is the last in the 7 OPVs contracted to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) by the Defence Ministry in 2015.
Key points:
i.It has a life span of more than 25 years.
ii.OPVs are large range surface ships, which are capable of operations in the maritime zones of the country & island territories.
iii.The roles of the OPV include coastal & offshore patrol, policing maritime zones of the country, surveillance, anti-piracy operations & anti-smuggling operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Specifications:
- It is 98 meters long, 15 m wide & has 3.6m draught. It has a displacement of 2140 tonnes & a range of 5000 Nautical miles.
- It is equipped with twin-engine helicopters & 4 high-speed boats for boarding operation, search & rescue , Pollution control etc..
- The vessel is equipped with a 40/60 Bofors gun & fitted with two 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Gun with fire control system.
- It is fitted with advanced technology radars, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery capable of operating in tropical sea conditions
Vessels Built by Larsen & Toubro
L&T has previously designed & built 6 ICGS
ICGS ‘Vikram’, ICGS ‘Vijaya’, ICGS ‘Veera’, ICGS ‘Varaha’, ICGS ‘Varad’, ICGS ‘Vajra’
Recent Related News
In June 2020, Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh stated that India’s 1st Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) will be commissioned into Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command as ‘INS Vikrant’ by mid-2022. It is being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
Director General of ICG – Krishnaswamy Natarajan
Headquarters – New Delhi
