Kolkata, Aug 11 (PTI) Indian Navy’s Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, on Tuesday said that the Navy’s responsibility is not only to defend national interests but also to ensure freedom of navigation.
He said that over the last decade, India has made remarkable progress in creating a vibrant and increasingly technologically advanced defence manufacturing and shipbuilding ecosystem.
“The Navy’s responsibility is not only to defend our national interests, but also to ensure freedom of navigation, security of our sea lanes, and the uninterrupted flow of energy and essential goods to and from India,” he said here at the launch of ‘Shruti’, the second Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) built by
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd.
Kolkata-based Defence PSU GRSE is constructing four such vessels as part of the Indian Navy’s 11-ship NGOPV programme, an official said.
Shruti’s launch comes within three months of ‘Sanghmitra’, the first NGOPV from GRSE, being launched on May 20, he said.
‘Shruti’ was formally launched by Manika Sadhu, wife of Vice Admiral Sadhu, as is the custom, the GRSE official said.
Measuring about 113 metres in length and 14.6 metres in width, these vessels will achieve speeds of up to 23 knots and have an endurance of 8,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots, he said.
Designed for a wide range of maritime operations, the NGOPVs will undertake coastal and offshore asset protection, maritime interdiction, surveillance, mine warfare and special operations, the official said.
They will also be deployed for out of area contingency operations, anti-piracy, counter-infiltration, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search and rescue missions, he added. PTI AMR ACD
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