Keel laying ceremony of second and third Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels held in Ratnagiri

Mumbai: The keel laying ceremony of the second and third Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV), to be constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), was held at Yeoman Marine Services Private Ltd (YMSPL) in Ratnagiri on Sunday.

The contracts for indigenous design and construction of 11 NGOPV were concluded on March 30, 2023 between Ministry of Defence and GSL, Goa and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, with seven ships to be constructed by lead shipyard GSL and four ships by follow shipyard M/s GRSE.

The main hull blocks of Yard 1281 and Yard 1282 are being fabricated at the premises of YMSPL, Ratnagiri as part of GSL’s build strategy.

Keel Laying ceremony of both the vessels was held at Ratnagiri with Vice Admiral R Swaminathan, Controller Warship Production & Acquisition as the Chief Guest, in the presence of senior officials from Indian Navy, GSL and YMSPL.

The NGOPVs with an approximate tonnage of 3,000 tonnes, are designed for Coastal Defence & Surveillance, Search & Rescue operations, Protection of Offshore Assets and Anti-Piracy missions.

The keel laying of these vessels marks a significant milestone in the overall project timeline.

The 11 NGOPVs are being built in consonance with the nation’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ and are poised to augment the Indian Naval maritime prowess.