Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has laid the keel for the first next-generation missile vessel (NGMV) being built for the Indian Navy, marking the start of construction of the first of six vessels under the program.
The keel-laying ceremony for the vessel, designated BY 531, was held at CSL’s shipyard in Kochi on September 18 in the presence of Indian officials.
In a separate announcement, CSL revealed that it conducted the steel cutting of the first steel plate for ship number BY-532 on September 17.
CSL is building six NGMVs under a contract signed with the Indian Navy on March 30, 2023.
The NGMVs are designed as high-speed missile vessels equipped with surface-to-surface missile systems, an anti-missile defense system, air-surveillance radar and fire-control radars.
The vessels will have a maximum speed of 33 knots and a complement of 80 personnel. The design also incorporates integrated platform management, propulsion, auxiliary machinery, power generation and distribution, and damage-control systems.
According to CSL, the vessels will support maritime strike and anti-surface warfare operations and are intended to provide sea-denial capabilities, particularly in maritime choke points. Their defensive roles will include local naval defense and the protection of offshore development areas.
The NGMV program represents CSL's entry into the construction of weapon-intensive platforms for the Indian Navy and forms part of India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative aimed at expanding domestic defense production.