Kolkata (West Bengal): The Indian Navy on Wednesday achieved another milestone in its indigenous shipbuilding programme with the launch of ‘Sanghmitra’, the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
The vessel, designated as Yard 3039, was launched by Sarita Vatsayan, Vice President, Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA), in the presence of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan. The ceremony was conducted with full naval honours and attended by senior officials from the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence, and GRSE.
‘Sanghmitra’ is part of the Indian Navy’s ambitious programme to build 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels simultaneously at two shipyards – Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa and GRSE in Kolkata.
The indigenously designed and built vessels are intended to strengthen the Navy’s operational capabilities across multiple domains. These ships will undertake missions including maritime surveillance, coastal and offshore defence, search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), anti-piracy patrols, and protection of offshore assets.
The ship has been named ‘Sanghmitra’ after the daughter of Emperor Ashoka, reflecting India’s cultural and historical heritage. Its crest features the constellation Ursa Major along with a red-and-white lighthouse motif.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the launch marks another major step in the Indian Navy’s drive towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing and aligns with the Government of India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives aimed at boosting indigenous defence production.
(DD News)