New Delhi: India’s coast guard today inducted a new fast patrol vessel built at an indigenous shipyard, boosting its ability intercept and stop illegal activities in the nation’s territorial waters.

One of India’s top state-run domestic shipyard, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) delivered Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Kanaklata Barua, the fifth and final warship in the serious of Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) build for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), overcoming the constraints posed by Super Cyclone ‘Amphan‘.

This is the 105th vessel delivered by the Kolkata-headquartered Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSUs) shipyard, categorised as a ‘Miniratna‘ (A mini jewel among DPSUs) for its good financial performance year after year.

The ICGS Kanaklata Barua was handed over at the GRSE’s Fitting Out Unit in Kolkata and GRSE’s Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral V. K. Saxena (Retired) and the coast guard vessel Commanding Officer Commandant (JG) Subhash Kapoor signed the protocol of ‘Delivery and Acceptance’ in the presence of Deputy Inspector General R. H. Nandodkar, GRSE Director (Finance) S. S. Dogra, Director (Shipbuilding) Commodore S. Nayyar, and Director (Personnel) Commodore P. R. Hari.

Yard 2116, the fourth warship in the series of FPVs, is earmarked for export delivery to the Seychelles Coast Guard and is likely to be delivered shortly after completing the related formalities.

GRSE will be building another FPV for the ICG, as a replacement to the one diverted to the Seychelles Coast Guard. Related formalities of signing contract with the amendments to the existing contract are underway and will be completed shortly.

The Fast Patrol Vessels have been entirely designed by GRSE’s Central Design Office. With an efficient hull form developed in-house and proved through extensive model testing, these ships are designed to achieve speeds exceeding 34 knots with an endurance of more than 1500 nautical miles.

These fuel-efficient and powerful platforms are well suited for operations like patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and rescue. They are fitted with state-of-the-art Main Engines with advanced control systems and water jet units and an ‘Integrated Bridge System’ integrating all Communication and Navigation Systems.

These ships are also fitted with 40/60 Gun as main armament and have improved habitability features with fully air-conditioned modular accommodation for 35 personnel. GRSE had earlier made deliveries of FPVs ICGS Priyadarshini, ICGS Annie Besant and ICGS Amrit Kaur in this series.

Originally built at the shipyard’s Rajabagan Unit, to meet it’s commitment to the Indian Coast Guard, GRSE has shifted the vessel’s location so that final work on the ship prior to delivery including balance fitting out, readiness of ship systems and setting to work of equipment/systems could be completed by undertaking work at the FOJ Unit in compliance with Ministry of Home Affairs and West Bengal government guidelines.

GRSE enjoys a deep pool of revenue-generating projects as evidenced by its current order book position of Rs 26,500 crore ($3.4 billion).