L&T Shipyard Delivers Big Ticket Project For Indian Navy - Details

The second of the two Multi-Purpose Vessels, being built by M/s L&T Shipyard for the Indian Navy, was launched in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary on 13 January at L&T, Kattupalli, Chennai. 

Utkarsh MPV : L&T And Indian Navy's Contract

The ship has been named ‘Utkarsh’ which means ‘Superior in Conduct’ and is synonymous with the multi-dimensional role envisaged for the platform. 

The contract for two Multi-Purpose Vessels was signed between the Ministry of Defence and M/s L&T Shipyard on 25 Mar 22. These Multi Purpose Vessels will be capable of towing ships, launch and recovering various targets, operating unmanned autonomous vehicles, and acting as a trial platform for various indigenous weapons and sensors under development. The 106 m vessels are designed to achieve a maximum speed of 15 knots.

This endeavor is in line with the Indian Navy's efforts towards Indigenous shipbuilding and the launch of this vessel by a private Indian shipyard showcases the country’s strides in Indigenous shipbuilding, in consonance with Govt. of India vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiative.

The MPVs are highly specialised, and play multiple roles, including serving as trial platforms, for the development of next-generation weapons and sensors. They will perform maritime surveillance, humanitarian assistance, combat sea pollution, besides taking up launch and recovery of surface and aerial assets, etc.

Source: PIB

Utkarsh MPV : L&T Issues Details

The MPVs are 107m long, and 18.6m wide with a displacement of over 3,750 tonnes. In keeping with the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission and Make in India initiative, the design engineering of the MPVs has been undertaken at L&T’s in-house Warship Design Centre at Chennai and the construction is accomplished at L&T’s Katupalli Shipyard.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr A T Ramchandani, Senior Vice President & Head - L&T Precision Engineering & Systems, said: “The successful launch of the second MPV ahead of schedule underscores L&T’s unwavering commitment to bolster India’s national security. With our unmatched in-house design expertise and execution prowess, we are committed to providing cutting-edge defence platforms to support Indian Navy’s fleet expansion needs.", the company said in a press release.

L&T’s Kattupalli Shipyard is one of the most advanced shipbuilding and ship repair facilities in India and is equipped with ship-lift, dry, and wet berths to concurrently undertake new shipbuilding and repairs.

Besides the two MPVs, L&T is also constructing three Cadet Training Ships and six other defence vessels for the Indian Navy on a public-private partnership model. This apart, the repair of the Indian naval ship INS Tir is also currently underway at the Kattupalli Shipyard, the release said.

Also Read: India's WPI Inflation Rises to 2.37% in December 2024- Here's What Is Driving The Prices | Republic Business