India's Goa Shipyard (GSL) has laid the keel of a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ordered by the Indian Navy.
The OPV will belong to a class of 11 ships. GSL will build seven ships while Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) will be responsible for the remaining four. GRSE laid the keel of one OPV in a ceremony last April.
The completed OPV will have a crew complement of 20 officers and 130 enlisted sailors. Two diesel engines will deliver a maximum speed of 24 knots and a range of 8,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots.
The vessel's shallow draught will enable it to operate in coastal as well as offshore waters.
The OPV's missions will include protection of offshore assets, maritime interdiction, surveillance, mine warfare, search and rescue, non-combatant evacuation, convoy escort, anti-piracy missions, counter-infiltration operations, counter-poaching patrols, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.