Indian Coast Guard commissions final 97 m Vikram-class OPV

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned its final 97 m Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV).

The vessel, ICGS Vigraha (39), was inducted into service at a commissioning ceremony in Chennai on 28 August. It was launched by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at the company's shipyard in Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu, in October 2020.

Vigraha is part of a contract for seven OPVs signed between the Indian government and L&T in March 2015. The programme's First of Class, ICGS Vikram (33), was commissioned in April 2018.

The Vikram-class OPV displaces about 2,100 tonnes at full load, and has an overall beam of 15 m and a hull draught of 3.6 m. The vessel has a top speed of 26 kt, and a standard range of 5,000 n miles at cruising speed of 12 kt.

Each OPV can accommodate 11 officers and 110 personnel of other ranks, and one Dhruv helicopter on its flight deck.

A statement from L&T on the vessel's launch in 2020 described the Vikram class as “long-range surface ships, capable of operation in maritime zones of India, including island territories with helicopter operation capabilities”.

“Their roles include coastal and offshore patrolling, policing maritime zones of India, control and surveillance, anti-smuggling, and anti-piracy operations with limited wartime roles,” the company added.

In its statement on the vessel's induction, India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) disclosed that Vigraha will be based at Visakhapatnam and operate on India's eastern seaboard under Coast Guard Region (East).