The Defence Ministry on Friday signed a ₹887 crore contract with Larson & Toubro (L&T) Limited for the procurement of two multi-purpose vessels (MPV) for the Navy.
“The MPVs will be the first of its kind platform, constructed to provide a cost-effective solution to meet a variety of requirements,” the Navy said in a statement. Delivery of vessels is scheduled to commence from May 2025.
“These vessels, to be built by L&T shipyard at Kattupally (Chennai), will perform multi-role support functions such as maritime surveillance and patrol, launching/ recovery of torpedoes and operation of various types of aerial, surface and underwater targets for gunnery, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) firing exercises,” the Navy said.
They would also be capable of towing ships and rendering Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support with limited hospital ship capability. In addition, they will also act as trial platform for naval weapons and sensors under development, support platform for ISV and salvage operations, and to provide logistics support for our island territories, the statement said.
With the majority of the equipment and system sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these vessels will encourage active participation of Indian shipbuilding industry in consonance with the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, the Navy added.
