Indian Navy lays keel of 4th next-gen OPV

The Indian Navy has held a keel-laying ceremony for the fourth next-generation offshore patrol vessel (NGOPV) at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

As informed, the ceremony took place on June 9, 2025. The contracts for the indigenous design and construction of eleven NGOPVs were concluded in March 2023 between the Indian Ministry of Defense and GSL and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), with seven ships to be constructed by the lead shipyard, GSL, and four ships by GRSE.

The contracts for the construction of the vessels were signed in March 2023. The ships will have an approximate tonnage of 3,000 tons.

They are designed to perform coastal defense and surveillance, search and rescue operations, protection of offshore assets, and anti-piracy missions.

To remind, in March this year, GSL held a keel-laying ceremony for the second and third ship in this class.

The keel laying of these vessels marks a significant milestone in the overall project timeline. The NGOPVs are being built in consonance with India’s vision of ‘Make in India’ and are poised to augment the Indian Navy’s maritime prowess, the navy stated.