A fast patrol vessel (FPV) of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), was launched today at Titagarh in West Bengal.
This FPV is the fifth in the series of five such vessels built by GRSE. The vessel ‘Kamla Devi’ was designed in line with the ‘Make in India’ programme and developed in-house by GRSE as per requirements specified by ICG.
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The ship is 50m long and 7.5m wide and designed for a maximum speed of 34 knots with an endurance of more than 1500 nautical miles. It is equipped with three main engines with advanced control systems, water jet units and an ‘integrated bridge system’ integrating all communication and navigation systems. The vessel will be fitted with 30 mm 2A42 gun as the main armament, and will also have modern habitability features with fully air-conditioned modular accommodation for 35 personnel.
The FPVs are medium-range surface vessels capable of operations in maritime zones of India. These fuel-efficient powerful platforms are designed to perform multipurpose operations e.g. patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. The ship is likely to be inducted into Coast Guard fleet for service to the nation by December 22 or January 23.
