The new ICGS training ship “Varuna” launched at Pipavav shipyard on Wednesday.
Anil Ambani- promoted Reliance Naval and Engineering Ltd (RNAVAL) Wednesday launched a 3500 tonne ship for the Indian Coast Guard which will impart basic sea training to the under trainee officers of both the Coast Guard and Indian Navy.
Claiming that it has a lean order book of Rs 4000 crore and is barely able to keep it’s “head above waters”, the company that has over Rs 9000 crore of debt said it needs more orders from defence establishments to remain afloat.
“Due to huge downtrend in the International shipbuilding industry as well as low order books from the domestic sector, the company is striving hard to keep its head above water…,” said Debashis Bir, CEO of RNAVAL at a formal event held at shipbuilding unit of the company at Pipavav in Amerli district of Gujarat where Director General of Coast Guard, Rajendra Singh was also present.
Appealing to the Indian defence authorities to support private shipyards like RNAVAL, Bir said the private shipbuilding industry in India is at a trough of a downward market-cycle. “The five public sector shipyards of the country have a total order book of Rs 200,000 crore, whereas their combined turnover is over Rs 8000 crore per annum…. Analysis show that during the last few years, the cost overruns in defence public sector units for defence production itself is about 25-35 percent, whereas the two large private sector shipyards (including RNAVAL) are reeling under the burden of huge investments for building the state of the art facilities. I appeal to the Indian defence authorities to support us in nurturing the Indian assets by endowing us with a healthier order book,” he remarked. According to the official, the shipyard has a meagre order book of Rs 4000 crore which includes building 14 Fast Patrol Vessels for the Coast Guard for Rs 916 crore and five warships for Indian Navy for almost Rs 2900 crore.
In 2016, the Anil Ambani group had bought the Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Ltd and was renamed as Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd and later as RNAVAL. The company currently has a debt of Rs 9000 crore. “We also look forward to building future platforms for Coast Guard such as pollution control vessels, air cushion vessels and next series of fast patrol vessels,” Bir added.
Speaking on the occasion, Director General Rajendra Singh of the Coast Guard hoped that the training ship worth Rs 220 crore and the 14 Fast Patrol vessels will be delivered to the Coast Guard “without any further slippages of contracted timelines” and “regardless of the trying condition the shipyard is going through.” He said that Coast Guard has a fleet of 138 ships, about 71 are under various stages of construction.
The new training ship is armed with a 30 mm gun, the twin-engine ship capable of achieving a maximum speed of 20 knots will also be tasked with policing maritime zones, detect and prosecute hostile crafts and search and rescue operations. It can extend its reach up to 5000 nautical miles at cruising speed.
The ship is about 65% complete and is expected to be handed over to Coast Guard in end of May 2019 after extensive tests and trails, said Bir, CEO of RNAVAL. The vessel has been entirely designed by the design bureau of the company. Confirmatory model tests for the design were performed at Vienna Test Basin, Austria and vetted by internationally acclaimed experts, Bir added. The interiors of the ship is yet to be fitted with electrical systems, communication devices, and major machineries. “The engines have been fitted, but we have not yet started them. A lot of other systems including the weapon systems are yet to be fitted, integrated and aligned,” said an official from the company.
The 105-meter long vessel having an ability to carry 242 personnel is capable of operating a twin-engine helicopter for long-range operations while undertaking maritime reconnaissance.
The other key feature of the vessel is an additional training bridge with modern navigational training facilities, for all-round viewing and has an additional conning position for imparting concurrent training, while carrying out actual navigation by the bridge team.