The Indian defense ministry has awarded Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Limited a contract to design, construct and supply four survey vessels for the Indian Navy.
A request for proposals was issued to GRSE, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and two private shipyards by the Indian Navy in April 2016, with GRSE emerging as the lowest & successful bidder.
The order value for these four vessels is Rs. 2435.15 crore (approx. $330 million).
The first ship is to be delivered within 36 months and remaining within an interval of six months for each vessel. The project completion time is 54 months from date of signing the contract.
According to the defense ministry, the 110-meter long ships will displace 3,300 tonnes and have a complement of 231. They will perform full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of ports and harbors, approaches and determination of navigational channels/routes.
In addition, the vessels will undertake surveys of maritime limits up to EEZ/extended continental shelf. These shall be deployed for collection of oceanographic and geophysical data for defense applications. In their secondary role, these shall be capable of performing limited search & rescue, limited ocean research and operate as hospital ship/casualty holding ships.