Goa, June 16 || The Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) fifth Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), in a series of eight under construction, was launched in Goa on Monday, a Defence Ministry official said.
Built at a cost of Rs 473 crore, the vessel named ‘Achal’ measures 52 metres in length and 8 metres in breadth, with a displacement of 320 tonnes. Powered by a controllable pitch propeller (CPP)-based propulsion system, the vessel can reach a top speed of 27 knots, said the official.
The vessel was ceremoniously launched by Kavita Harbola in the presence of Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard), Additional Director General Anil Kumar Harbola.
Designed and constructed under dual-class certification from the American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping, the FPV features over 60 per cent indigenous content, said an official statement.
With its primary roles of protection, monitoring, control, and surveillance, ‘Achal’ is equipped to safeguard offshore assets and island territories, it said.
“The FPV’s launch marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between the Indian Coast Guard and Goa Shipyard Ltd, further reinforcing the collective march towards Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing,” the statement said.