Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel (2017)

This article is about the modern Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel variant; see Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel (1983) for its namesake predecessors.

The Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel is a series of seven offshore patrol vessels (OPV) being built at the Kattupalli shipyard by L&T Shipbuilding for the Indian Coast Guard. These are long range surface ships which are capable of coastal and offshore patrolling.^[1][2][3][4]

ICGS Vigraha (39), during her sea trials.
Class overview
Name	Vikram class
Builders	Kattupalli Shipyard, L&T Shipbuilding, Chennai
Operators	Indian Coast Guard
Preceded by	Samarth class
Succeeded by	MDL class
Built	2015–2021
Planned	7
Completed	7
Active	7
General characteristics
Type	Offshore patrol vessel
Displacement	2,140 t (2,110 long tons; 2,360 short tons)
Length	98.2 m (322 ft 2 in)
Beam	15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Draught	3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
Speed	26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 12–14 kn (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph)
Armament	1 x 30 mm CRN 91 Naval Gun 2 x 12.7 mm HMG with FCS
Aircraft carried	1 x HAL Dhruv

History

In March 2015, L&T Shipbuilding was awarded a ₹1,432 crore (US$170 million) contract by the Ministry of Defence to build seven offshore vessel patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard.^[5]

The last ship Vigraha was commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 28 August 2021.^[6]

A merchant ship was escorted back by ICGS Vikram to Indian waters after suffering a drone attack off the arabian coast.^[7]

Specification

The class is 97 metres (318 ft 3 in) long, 15 metres (49 ft 3 in) wide, with a 3.6-metre (11 ft 10 in) draught and has a displacement of 2,140 tonnes. It is capable of maximum speed of 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph) with a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a cruising speed of 12 to 14 knots (22 to 26 km/h; 14 to 16 mph). The class will be armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) CRN 91 Naval Gun, two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) heavy machine guns with fire control system, a helicopter for various operational, surveillance, and search and rescue missions. It also has modern radar; navigation and communication systems; front propulsion pods providing high maneuverability. It has been indigenously designed and has undergone dual certification from the American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping. The ships would be tasked with the roles of policing maritime zones, control and surveillance, search and rescue, pollution response, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy in the economic zones of the country.^{[2][4][8][9][10]}

Ships

Name	Pennant number	Keel laid	Launched	Commissioned	Status	Home Port
Vikram	33	March 2016[10]	27 October 2017[1]	11 April 2018[11][10]	Active	New Mangalore[12]
Vijaya	34		20 January 2018[13][14]	14 September 2018[15]		Paradip
Veera	35		28 August 2018[16][17]	15 April 2019[18]
Varaha	41		2 November 2018[19]	25 September 2019[20]		New Mangalore[20]
Varad	40	3 July 2018[21]	31 August 2019[22]	28 February 2020[23][24]		Paradip
Vajra	37		27 February 2020[25]	24 March 2021[26]		Tuticorin
Vigraha	39		6 October 2020[27]	28 August 2021[6]		Vishakapatnam

Gallery

Samart-class ships at sea

• 
  An ABG-class fast interceptor with the OPV ICGS Varaha during a rescue exercise
• 
  ICGS Vikram at sea
• 
  Vikram during a rescue mission.

See also

• Samarth-class offshore patrol vessel