Article Posted on : - Mar 18, 2010

The OPV delivers a maximum speed of 26 knots and has an endurance of 4500 nautical miles

PANAJI (BNS): The state-of-the-art new generation offshore patrol vessel (OPV) - ICGS Vishwast- was formally inducted into the Indian Coast Guard, by Indian Defence Minister A K Antony at a ceremony at the GSL.

‘Vishwast,' which means ‘trustworthy,' is an OPV indigenously designed in-house and built by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), the south Goa-based defence shipyard.

Addressing a press conference following the commissioning of the OPV at GSL on Wednesday, PTI quoted Antony as saying, "India cannot indefinitely depend on foreign defence equipment manufacturers alone.

We should make more space for Indian industries in both the private and public sector," the defence minister said underlining the growing importance of the private sector in area of defence equipment production.

Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), one of the country’s prominent defence shipbuilding yards, has built the ship which has state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipments.

The vessel, 90 meter in length, has an Integrated Bridge System and is also provided with Platform Management System.

This is the only vessel in this class in the world with a large range of facilities for Pollution Control, Fire Fighting, Search & Rescue and Patrolling, a GSL spokesman said.

Indian Coast Guard would be using the ship for patrolling and policing maritime zones, search and rescue operation, maritime surveillance, anti-smuggling operation, pollution response against oil spillage and external fire-fighting.