CSL lays keel for first next-generation missile vessel for Indian Navy

Kochi: The Cochin Shipyard Limited on Friday laid the keel for the first of six Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) being built for the Indian Navy, marking the shipbuilder's entry into construction of advanced weapon-intensive platforms, officials said.

A statement by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) said that Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition at Integrated Headquarters, Indian Navy, laid the keel for the first vessel (BY 531) at a ceremony held here, CSL Chairman and Managing Director Jose V J, Rear Admiral Kapil Mehta, ACWP & A, Director (Operations) S Harikrishnan, flag officers and senior officials from the Southern Naval Command were among those present.

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Officials from the Warship Overseeing Team, representatives of the Indian Register of Shipping, senior officials from CSL and the Navy, and supervisors and workers of the shipyard also attended the ceremony, the statement said.

The keel laying marks a significant milestone in the construction of the vessel and symbolises the formal commencement of its construction, officials said, CSL has six NGMVs in its order book under a contract signed with the Indian Navy on March 30, 2023, they said.

The project marks CSL's entry into the construction of advanced weapon-intensive platforms for the Indian Navy in line with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the shipbuilder said.

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The NGMVs are envisaged as high-speed vessels equipped with an array of weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface missile systems, anti-missile defence systems, air surveillance radars and fire control radars, it said.

The primary role of the vessels would be to provide offensive capability against enemy warships, merchantmen and land targets. They would be capable of conducting maritime strike and anti-surface warfare operations and serve as a potent sea-denial platform against enemy ships, particularly at choke points, the statement said.

In a defensive role, the vessels would be deployed for local naval defence operations and seaward defence of offshore development areas, it said.

The vessels will also be equipped with advanced integrated platform management systems, propulsion and auxiliary machinery, power generation and distribution systems and damage-control machinery, CSL said.

Each vessel will have a complement of 80 personnel and a maximum speed of 33 knots, it added.