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Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Monday launched the second multi-purpose vessel (MPV) for the Indian Navy from its Kattupalli Shipyard near Chennai.
The vessel, christened INS Utkarsh, was launched by Sushmita Misra Singh, the wife of Union Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. Singh, Vice Admiral B Sivakumar (Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition), Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi (Assistant Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition) and senior leaders of L&T were present. Following an accelerated production schedule, the launch of INS Utkarsh comes within three months of the launch of the first MPV INS Samarthak. The first vessel is now being readied for undergoing tests and trials prior to its delivery to the Indian Navy, a press release said. The MPVs are highly specialised, and play multiple roles, including serving as trial platforms, for the development of next-generation weapons and sensors. They will perform maritime surveillance, humanitarian assistance, and combat sea pollution, besides taking up launch and recovery of surface and aerial assets, etc, it added. The MPVs are 107m long, and 18.6m wide with a displacement over 3,750 tonnes. In keeping with the Government of India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission and Make in India initiative, the design engineering of the MPVs has been undertaken at L&T's in-house Warship Design Centre at Chennai and the construction is accomplished at L&T's Katupalli Shipyard. Commenting on the occasion, AT Ramchandani, Senior Vice President & Head - L&T Precision Engineering & Systems, said, "The successful launch of the second MPV ahead of schedule underscores L&T's unwavering commitment to bolster India's national security. With our unmatched in-house design expertise and execution prowess, we are committed to providing cutting-edge defence platforms to support the Indian Navy's fleet expansion needs. L&T's Kattupalli Shipyard is one of the most advanced shipbuilding and ship repair facilities in India and is equipped with ship-lift, dry and wet berths to concurrently undertake new shipbuilding and repairs. Besides the two MPVs, L&T is also constructing three Cadet Training Ships and six other defence vessels for the Indian Navy on a public-private partnership model. This apart, the repair of the Indian naval ship INS Tir is also currently underway at the Kattupalli Shipyard. (ANI)
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