The eighth and final missile cum ammunition (MCA) barge, LSAM 11(Yard 79), was inducted into the Indian Navy on Friday at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. Seven of these MCA barges, designed to support the operational requirements of the Navy, have already been inducted into the force earlier.
The MCA barge, constructed by SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, will facilitate the transportation, embarkation and disembarkation of articles or ammunition to Indian Navy platforms both alongside jetties and at outer harbours.
With the delivery of this MCA barge, the MSME company has completed the contractual delivery of all eight barges to the Indian Navy, the defence ministry said in a release.
These barges have been indigenously designed by the shipyard in collaboration with an Indian Ship Designing firm and successfully model tested at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam to ensure their seaworthiness.
The ministry said the barges have been built in accordance with relevant naval rules and regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
“MCA barges are proud flag bearers of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives of government of India and highlight the Indian Navy’s commitment to encourage MSMEs,” the statement from the ministry read.
