India’s defence ministry Tuesday awarded Rs. 2,435 crore contract for designing, construction and supply of four large survey vessels for Indian Navy to Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.
The contract was awarded through competitive bidding and it is a major boost to Indian government’s flagship programme ‘Make in India’.
These Large Survey Vessels shall be 110 metre long with a displacement of 3,300 tonnes and complement of 231 personnel.
A survey vessel built by GRSE.
First ship will be delivered within twenty-four months and remaining three ships will be delivered in next 18 months at the rate of one ship every six months.
Public sector ship builder GRSE will have to execute the entire order within 54 months from the date of signing of the contract.
These ships will be capable of full scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of ports and harbours, approaches and determination of navigational channels and routes.
The contract between the ministry and public sector ship builder was signed by Joint Secretary & Acquisition Manager (MS) Ravi Kant and Director (shipbuilding) Commodore (retd) S Nayyar for GRSE, Kolkata.
Request for Proposal was issued by Indian Navy to four PSU shipyards – GRSE, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and two Indian Private Shipyards in April 2016.
GRSE CMD Vipin Kr. Saxena (left) with Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra.
In a major achievement, GRSE, Kolkata beat three public sector ship builders and two private sector builders to win the lucrative contract as its order book has reached the figure of Rs. 22,604 crore with this victory.
The GRSE is currently handling a major project to make three stealth frigates for Indian Navy under P17A Project.
The public sector ship manufacturers has been a pioneer in warship building for the nation. It has delivered the highest number of warships till date since its inception in 1960.
It has delivered 98 warships which include advanced frigates to anti-submarine warfare corvettes to fleet tankers, fast attack crafts among other things.
Public sector GRSE shipyard has many firsts to its credit in terms of innovation and design.
GRSE’s S Nayyar and Ravi Kant (JS & Acquisition Manager).
It has already delivered six Sandhayak Class Survey Vessels to Indian Navy between the period February 1981 to February 1993.
The present project will further consolidate GRSE’s position as a unique shipyard with all round capability to design and build survey vessels with state-of-the-art technology.
In addition, these vessels shall undertake surveys of maritime limits up to Exclusive Economic Zone and extended continental shelf.
These shall be deployed for collection of oceanographic and geophysical data for defence applications.
In their secondary role, these survey vessels will be capable of performing limited search & rescue, limited ocean research and operate as hospital and casualty holding ships.
The vessels will be equipped with highly advanced state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment & sensors including a Hello Hanger to accommodate one Advanced Light Helicopter.
Representative Image of Indian Military Helicopters.
These vessels will be built as per the Classification Society Rules and Naval Ship Regulations and will conform to latest MARPOL (Marine Pollution) Standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
