Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel

The Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) are a series of eleven offshore patrol vessel planned to be built by Goa Shipyard (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy. The deal was signed on 30 March 2023 with the delivery of the ships is scheduled to commence from September 2026. The primary role of the vessels to maintain Indian Navy's combat capability and meet various operational requirements such as Anti piracy, Counter-Infiltration, Anti poaching, Anti trafficking, Non combatant evacuation operations, Search and Rescue (SAR), Protection of Offshore Assets and Mine warfare.

History
The Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel project is a follow on of Shachi-class offshore patrol vessel which was eventually cancelled due to an inordinate delay of more than 10 years. Initially, the Indian Navy signed a contract for five offshore patrol vessel to be built by the erstwhile Pipavav Shipyard now (Reliance Defence and Engineering). Numerous delays in the project, initially due to change of design partner and subsequently due to financial issues led to the cancellation of the project in October 2020.

Indian Navy re-released a new RFI in 2017 for six ships which was later cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in 2018 for a price of inr 49410000000. Later on, the number of ships to be built was increased to eleven to compensate for the time lost due to the cancelled Shachi-class offshore patrol vessel project.

The project was subjected to competitive bidding and shipyards across the country participated. Amongst the public sector participants were Cochin Shipyard, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Goa Shipyard, Hindustan Shipyard and Mazagon Dock while Larsen & Toubro was the sole private bidder. Goa Shipyard was declared the lowest bidder (L1) while Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers was the second lowest L2. Contract was subsequently signed with both the shipyards.

Construction
The deal for the construction of 11 ships was signed on 30 March 2023 by Ministry of Defence with Goa Shipyard (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for a total value of inr 97810000000. Of the 11 ships, seven will be designed, developed and manufactured by GSL and four by GRSE. The delivery of the ships is scheduled to commence from September 2026. The order value share for the Goa Shipyard (GSL) is inr 62000000000 while that of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) is inr 35000000000.

The first ship is expected to be delivered within 44 months from the date of signing the contract with the final delivery to be complete within seven and half years.

GRSE began the construction process by kicking off the steel cutting for the first two NGOPV Y3039 and Y3040 at its Rajabagan Dock on 24 February 2024.

Goa Shipyard started the construction of the third and the fourth OPV, the first two from the order of seven, with the steel cutting ceremony on 27 March, 2024.

Design
The ships will have a displacement of 2500 - 2900 t and a length of 105 - 110 m depending upon the design opted by either of the shipyard. They will have a cruising speed of 14 knot with a maximum speed greater than 25 knot and an operating range of 8500 nmi at a speed of 14 - 15 knot. The ships will be equipped with state of the art facility and a hangar which can accommodate one HAL Dhruv. The Helipad can accommodate a helicopter of 15 t with facility to operate UAVs.

These ship will be able to perform mine warfare roles with modular payload, presumably by the usage of UUVs and autonomous mine laying vehicles. The ship would be equipped with light weapons like 76mm main cannon along with CIWS systems and counter-measure system like Kavach decoy launchers and Maareech torpedo-countermeasure systems.

The ship will have the ability to store Shyena torpedoes for helicopter.