Kochi/Kerala: The Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kerala's Kochi informed that it had signed a contract for making six Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) for the Indian Navy. The contract involves Rs 9,805 crore as the cost, and the units were set to begin delivery from March 2027, PTI reported.
The state-run establishment said that the contract marks its entry into advanced weapon-intense platforms.
Cochin Shipyard said in a release, "The primary role of the ships would be to provide offensive capability against enemy warships, merchantmen and land targets."
The delivery of ships is scheduled to commence from March 2027, it added.
The release said, "The NGMVs would be heavily armed war vessels incorporating stealth, high speed and offensive capability. These ships will be capable of conducting maritime strike operations, anti-surface warfare operations and would be a potent instrument of sea denial for enemy ships, especially at choke points."
It said that the finished units would be employed for local naval defence operations and seaward defence offshore development areas.
Madhu S Nair, CMD Cochin Shipyard Limited, said that the shipyard was keen to take up the construction of NGMVs after successfully delivering the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
It is learnt that the shipyard is working on another eight Anti Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts for the Navy, and they are under various stages of construction at the yard.