Mayank Sharma (Top L) and Inspector General Bhisham (Top R) along with their wives and officers and officials of the Coast Guard and Goa Shipyard Limited. (Photo: Indian Coast Guard)
New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard launched two fast patrol vessels at Goa Shipyard Limited on Thursday, adding critical assets to the force’s maritime surveillance capabilities along the country’s expansive coastline and exclusive economic zone. The Coast Guard said this in a release on Friday.
The vessels, named Ajit and Aparajit, are the seventh and eighth in a series of eight fast patrol vessels being built by the Goa-based public sector shipyard under a contract awarded to strengthen coastal security infrastructure.
Manju Sharma, wife of Mayank Sharma, financial adviser (defence services) at the Ministry of Defence and the chief guest of the event, launched the vessels. Also present were Bhisham Sharma, inspector general of Coast Guard (West), and senior officials from the shipyard.
The 52-metre vessels, with a displacement of 320 tonnes, incorporate controllable pitch propellers – the first deployment of this technology in Indian fast patrol vessels of this class. The propulsion system allows for greater manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency compared to conventional fixed-pitch propellers.
According to specifications released by the Coast Guard, the vessels are designed for multiple operational roles including fisheries protection, coastal surveillance, anti-smuggling operations, anti-piracy patrols, and search and rescue missions. They will be particularly deployed around India’s island territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, as well as in the exclusive economic zone.
India’s exclusive economic zone spans approximately 2.37 million square kilometres, requiring extensive patrol capabilities. The Coast Guard currently operates over 150 vessels of various classes, though officials have long emphasised the need for additional assets to adequately monitor the vast maritime area.
The project is part of the government’s indigenous defence manufacturing initiative. Goa Shipyard Limited, which has built patrol vessels, fast attack craft and offshore patrol vessels for the Coast Guard and Navy, employed local suppliers and small manufacturers for components and systems in the construction.
The shipyard is scheduled to deliver the final two vessels in this eight-ship series over the coming months, completing a contract that has been under execution since the initial order was placed. Both vessels are expected to undergo sea trials before being formally commissioned into the Coast Guard fleet.
The Ministry of Defence has been pushing for greater self-reliance in naval and coastal guard shipbuilding, with multiple domestic shipyards now executing orders for various classes of vessels. The controllable pitch propeller technology used in these vessels marks a step forward in incorporating advanced systems in domestically built platforms.
