Cochin Shipyard Limited Lays Keel of First of Six Next Generation Missile Vessels for Indian Navy

Key facts

• Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) laid the keel for the first of six Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) being built for the Indian Navy, marking its entry into construction of advanced weapon-intensive platforms.
• Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition at Integrated Headquarters, Indian Navy, laid the keel for the first vessel (BY 531) at a ceremony at the shipyard.
• CSL has six NGMVs in its order book under a contract signed with the Indian Navy on March 30, 2023.
• The NGMVs are high-speed vessels equipped with surface-to-surface missile systems, anti-missile defence systems, air surveillance radars and fire control radars.
• The vessels' primary role is to provide offensive capability against enemy warships, merchantmen and land targets, and they can conduct maritime strike and anti-surface warfare operations as a sea-denial platform, particularly at choke points.
• In a defensive role, the vessels would be deployed for local naval defence operations and seaward defence of offshore development areas.
• Each NGMV will have a complement of 80 personnel and a maximum speed of 33 knots.
• The project aligns with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.