India's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) recently laid the keel of two new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) slated for the Indian Coast Guard.
The OPVs will be the second and third vessels in a new class of six being built by MDL for the Indian Coast Guard. Deliveries of the vessels are scheduled to commence in 2027.
Upon completion, the vessels will be among the largest in the Indian Coast Guard with each having a length of 117 metres and a displacement of 3,000 tonnes.
The vessels will each be powered by two 4,500kW diesel engines driving controllable-pitch propellers to deliver a maximum speed of 23 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.
The OPVs will also be equipped with AI-based predictive maintenance systems, remotely piloted drones, integrated bridge systems, and integrated platform management systems.
Other duties to be undertaken by the OPVs will include search and rescue, disaster response, pollution response, surveillance, and counter-smuggling and counter-piracy patrols.