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| India Buys 11 Next Gen OPV Patrol Boats & 6 NGMV Missile Boats |
New Delhi - Ministry of Defense of India on 4 April 2023, has signed a contract with Indian shipyards for the acquisition of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) and six Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) at a total cost of approx. Rs 19,600 crore.
The contract for the acquisition of 11 NGOPVs was signed with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata for a total cost of Rs 9,781 crore.
Of the 11 ships, seven will be designed, developed and manufactured by GSL and four by GRSE. Ship deliveries are scheduled to start from September 2026.
Acquisition of these vessels will enable the Indian Navy to maintain its combat capabilities and fulfill various operational requirements such as Anti-Piracy, Counter-Infiltration, Anti-Poaching, Anti-Trafficking, Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations, Search and Rescue (SAR) and Protection. Offshore Assets, and more.
The acquisition contract for six NGMVs was signed with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) at a cost of Rs 9,805 crore. Ship deliveries are scheduled to start from March 2027.
The NGMV will be a heavily armed warship combining stealth, high speed and offensive capabilities. The main role of the ship is to provide offensive capability against enemy warships including land targets.
The ship will have a displacement of 2,200 tons, an overall length of 105 m, a width of 13.0 m, and a draft of less than 5.0 m. The NGMV is powered by a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine (CODAG) system, consisting of two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines and four MAN 2MW diesel engines.
A top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h) and a range of 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km) at 25 knots (46 km/h) or 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km) at 35 knots (65 km/h). The ship will have an endurance of 10 days at maximum speed. The ship will carry one unit of rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with a length of 4.7 m and will have a crew of 80 sailors and 13 officers.
The NGMV will be equipped with a variety of sensors and processing systems, including a 3Ts-25E Garpun-B surface search radar and an EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-Band AESA radar, as well as a chaff decoy system for electronic warfare.
In terms of armament, the ship will be equipped with one OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) cannon, two AK-630M close-in weapon systems (CIWS), 32 VL-SRSAM missiles, 8 BrahMos VLS launch missiles, and an Air Defense System. Very Short Distance (VSHORAD).