KOCHI, October 11 — Defence Public Sector Undertaking Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) alongside Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on Sunday completed milestone steel-cutting and keel-laying ceremonies for 14 Next-Generation Fast Patrol Vessels (NGFPVs) and 6 Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) contracted under a ₹3,100 crore maritime modernization package for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
Procured under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP 2020), the high-speed patrol vessels integrate water-jet propulsion modules capable of exceeding 35 knots in shallow littoral waters, AI-enabled Integrated Bridge Systems (IBS), automated marine pollution response gear, and indigenous 30mm CRN-91 naval gun mounts paired with electro-optical fire control sensors. Each Offshore Patrol Vessel will additionally carry shipborne twin-engine helicopters and vertical takeoff unmanned aerial vehicles (VTOL UAVs) for extended Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance.
Coast Guard leadership highlighted that the fleet expansion will significantly bolster round-the-clock maritime domain awareness across India's 7,516-kilometer coastline, safeguarding offshore hydrocarbon assets (Mumbai High and KG Basin) and interdicting narcotics and contraband smuggling routes across the Arabian Sea and Andaman Sea.
India's public sector shipyard ecosystem (MDL Mumbai, GRSE Kolkata, GSL Goa, and HSL Visakhapatnam under the Ministry of Defence; Cochin Shipyard Limited under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways), the statutory mandate of the Indian Coast Guard (Coast Guard Act 1978), and coastal security architectures are staple themes for UPSC Civil Services (GS-III: Maritime Security) and CDS/NDA/ICG Assistant Commandant examinations.