Kolkata-based defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has won a ₹ 6,311.32-crore order from the Ministry of Defence to build eight anti-submarine warfare (ASW) shallow water craft for the Indian Navy.
The deal signed on Monday is the yard’s first order win after it went public in October last year.
The 16-ship ASW shallow water craft tender of the Indian Navy is split equally between the lowest and the second lowest bidders with the L2 required to match the L1 price. Cochin Shipyard Ltd quoted the lowest price in the tender to emerge the top bidder, wherein GRSE was the second lowest. GRSE matched the lowest price of Cochin Shipyard to win the eight ship-order.
The Defence Ministry is expected to sign the other eight-ship deal with Cochin Shipyard in the next few days, government sources said.
Delivery in 42 months
The first ship is to be delivered within 42 months from the contract signing date and the balance in two ships a year. The project completion time is 84 months from date of signing the contract, GRSE said in a statement.
The award comes five years after the tender was issued by the Indian Navy in April, 2014, demonstrating the long-drawn process in finalising contracts for defence ships. The eight ASW shallow watercraft to be built at Garden Reach will be classed with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), which won the mandate for providing classification services to the ships.
Indian Register of Shipping is a full-member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) that verifies ships for their sea worthiness.
The ships will be built to IRClass’ Naval Rules 2015 and are designed for combating threats posed by submarines and special underwater craft, operating in relatively shallow waters and will incorporate advanced sensors, including sonars, and anti-submarine weapon systems.
The platforms will also be equipped with modern automation systems.
The ASW shallow water crafts are designed for a deep displacement of 750 tonnes, speed of 25 Knots and complement of 57 and capable of full-scale sub-surface surveillance of coastal waters. The vessels will have the capability to interdict/ destroy sub-surface targets in coastal waters. They can also be deployed for search and rescue operations.