Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai performing rituals to lay the keel for the NOPV on Wednesday. Also seen are Rear Admiral (Retd) Vineet Bakhshi VSM, chairman and managing director, GSL and others. (Sudesh Bhosle)
VASCO: The keel for the newly-designed Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV), which is being built by Goa Shipyard Ltd for the Indian Navy, was laid by Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai NM Flag Officer Commanding Goa area on Wednesday at GSL.
GSL’s chairman and managing director, Rear Admiral (Retd) Vineet Bakhshi VSM, senior officials from GSL and officials from Indian Navy and Coast Guard were present during the ceremony. GSL informed that the vessel is 105 meter in length, about 2200 tons in displacement with a speed of 25 knots. It is capable of fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of SLOCs, defence of offshore oil installations and escorting high value ships.
