Private shipyard to supply 4 Indian Navy vessels

New Delhi : A private shipyard has been contracted to design and supply four survey vessels for the Indian Navy at the cost of Rs 2,400 crore, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The Ministry has signed the contract with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, Kolkata.

"These vessels shall undertake surveys of maritime limits up to extended continental shelf. These shall be deployed for collection of oceanographic and geophysical data for defence applications.

"In their secondary role, these shall be capable of performing limited search & rescue, limited ocean research and operate as hospital ship or casualty holding ships," a Ministry of Defence statement said.

The order value for these four vessels is Rs 2,435.15 crore. The first ship is to be delivered within three years and remaining within an interval of six months for each vessel.

The project completion time is less than 5 years.

These survey vessels will be 110 metre-long with deep displacement of 3,300 tonnes and complement of 231, capable of fullscale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of ports and harbours, approaches and determination of navigational channels.

According to the ministry, the design and construction of these ships by GRSE will truly signify government's Make in India initiative.

The GRSE is currently handling a major project to make three 'stealth frigates' for the Navy under P17A Project.