Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on Friday launched the last two Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) in its eight-vessel contract with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
Designed and built by GSL, the patrol vessels measure 52m in length and weigh 320 tonnes, with 65 per cent of each vessel's equipment made in India.
The vessels, commissioned as 'INS Ajit' and 'INS Aparajit', are the first in their class (in India) to get Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs), which increase manoeuvrability. This is because CPPs are useful in changing the speed and direction of vessels without changing their RPM.
The new vessels are also capable of multi-mission roles including fisheries protection, coastal patrol, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and search and rescue operations, especially around India’s island territories and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the defence ministry said in a press release.
“The launch marks the completion of all eight FPV launches and a historical feat of 10 coast guard ships launching and two deliveries in the last 14 months at GSL. In total, these are the 42nd and 43rd Coast Guard ships built by GSL,” explained GSL chairman and MD Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, as per a Times of India report.
Indeed, the Goa-based shipbuilder has maintained an impressive track record, launching 12 vessels since July 2024—roughly one vessel every 40 days.
ALSO READ | India sets sail for Maritime Week 2025 as it eyes ‘Blue Economy’ future
Upadhyay added that GSL's gross revenue has increased from Rs 865 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 3,190 crore in 2024-25, as the company has now set its sights on a dredger for a Belgian firm (to be launched soon), a floating dry dock for a foreign navy, and a next-generation patrol vessel.