Cochin Shipyard to launch three vessels, including Anti-Submarine Warfare craft for Navy

Kochi, Oct 17 (PTI) Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a public-sector shipbuilder, will launch three technologically advanced vessels, including an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) for the Indian Navy, here on Saturday, the company said.

The other vessels to be launched are the Hybrid Electric Methanol-Ready Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) and India’s largest Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger, DCI Dredge Godavari.

According to CSL, the triple launch reaffirms the shipyard’s leadership in naval, commercial and green maritime segments.

"These launch will showcase India’s engineering excellence, indigenisation drive and commitment to sustainable maritime development under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives," the CSL said in a statement.

The ASW SWC for the Navy is the sixth vessel built under an eight-ship contract signed in April 2019.

The 78-metre-long, 896-tonne craft can achieve speeds up to 25 knots and is equipped with advanced underwater sensors, lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, and mine-laying capability, the CSL said.

The vessel can also conduct low-intensity maritime operations, coordinated ASW missions with aircraft, and search and rescue operations in coastal waters.

It will replace the Indian Navy’s Abhay-class corvettes, enhancing the force’s near-shore anti-submarine capabilities with improved automation and endurance, the CSL statement said.

The CSL said that Hybrid Electric Methanol-Ready CSOV (Hull No. BY 151) marks CSL’s entry into the offshore renewable energy market.

The 93-metre-long, 19.6-metre-wide vessel, equipped with hybrid-electric propulsion, methanol-ready engines, large lithium-ion battery packs, and a motion-compensated gangway system, will support commissioning and maintenance of offshore wind turbines, the statement said.

It will also serve as a "floating hotel" for offshore technicians, designed to world-class comfort and noise standards, the CSL said.

Similarly, DCI Dredge Godavari, being built for Dredging Corporation of India in collaboration with Royal IHC, Netherlands, is India’s largest and most advanced dredger.

The CSL said that the 12,000-cubic-metre Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger, measuring 127 metres in length with a dredging depth of 36 metres, will boost India’s port deepening and reclamation capacity.

"This project embodies the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, bringing world-class dredging technology to Indian shores and strengthening the nation’s port-led development," the CSL added. PTI TBA TBA KH