Team Herald
VASCO: A K Gupta, Secretary, Defence Production on Tuesday said that in last few years Indian Navy has progressed extensively and thus from buyers navy, today it is progressing towards becoming designers navy, with all 40 vessels for it are currently being built in India.
He was speaking during launch of second 105-metrelong offshore patrol vessel for Sri Lankan Navy at Goa Shipyard Limited on Tuesday.
“There was a time when Indian Navy used to depend on foreign countries for designs and technology; later a stage came where Indian Navy started building ships in India and today Indian Navy is progressing towards becoming designers navy and we are proud to say that all forty ships that are being built for Indian Navy are being built in India” he said.
Meanwhile, setting the ball rolling for early delivery of Sri Lankan Navy OPVs (SLOPV), the Second of the two 105M OPVs being constructed at GSL, was ceremonially launched at GSL at the hands of Priti Gupta. SLOPV contract is one of the major export contracts, being executed by GSL currently for friendly countries.
The keel of the second vessel was laid on May 9, 2015 and it is creditable for the shipyard to complete the 100% hull construction and launch the vessel within 23 months. The vessel is in advanced stage of outfitting and will be ready for delivery by February 2018. Significantly, in last one week GSL has delivered one damage control training facility to Indian Navy at Vishakhapatnam and the second FPV to Mauritius Coast Guard all ahead of contractual delivery schedule. It has also launched one 1000 Ton fuel barge for Indian Navy on May 1 2017.
A K Gupta congratulated the personnel of Goa Shipyard and the CMD for the impressive turnaround in last three years.
GSL CMD Shekhar Mital said “We are confident to deliver the 2nd SLNOPV launched today by Feb / Mar 2018, in less than 3 years from keel laying. This validates the reduction in ‘build period’, which we have been able to achieve from about 60 months taken for NOPVs just about 3-4 years back to less than 36 months i.e. 3 yrs. For any shipyard reduction in ‘build period’ is most sacred target, since it is measure of productivity and efficiency of all departments of shipyard including production, technical, planning, material, supply chain management and finance all put together.”
CMD said, “We are extremely thankful to Secy (DP) for taking personal interest in resolving our issues and guiding us all along. But for his meticulous, passionate approach and close involvement, we would not have covered this much of a distance in last 3 years”
Mital said, “We are progressing rapidly with construction of balance 2 CGOPVs of 6 CGOPV Project and are confident of delivering them much ahead of schedule in next 6 months.”
The first Sri Lankan OPV will be proceeding to sea for sea trials in couple of days from now and we should be able to deliver the ship by June-end/early July 2017, well ahead of contractual delivery schedule.”
