Aadesh-class patrol vessel

Aadesh-class patrol vessels are a series of 20 fast patrol vessels (FPV) being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard at its shipyard located at Kochi, Kerala. The ships have been designed by M/s Smart Engineering & Design Solutions (SEDS), Kochi.

Description
These vessels have a length of 50 metres, beam of 7.6 metres and draught of 1.6 metres with a design speed of over 33 knots. They are powered by Tognum supplied triple type 16V 4000 M90 engines with an output of 2,720 kW (3,648 bhp) @ 2,100 rpm, coupled with ZF 7600 gearboxes and propelled by triple Rolls-Royce Kamewa 71S3np water jets. This enables vessels to operate in shallow waters and offer higher speeds and better manoeuvrability than conventional propellers. MTU ‘Callosum’ ship automation system provides an integrated solution for monitoring all ship’s services that also incorporates fire detection and extinguishing systems. The navigation package is being supplied by Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit which includes VisionMaster™ Total Watch™ multi-function displays, electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS), autopilot, magnetic compass and the NAVIGAT 3000™ fiber optic gyro-compass.

The vessels are equipped with a long-range gun and ultra-modern vessel control, navigation and communication tools. The vessels are capable of 7 days' continuous deployment at sea without replenishing. These FPVs are small in size when compared to the large vessels that Cochin Shipyard has built. But designing and building these vessels posed challenges to the yard as these are extremely weight-sensitive vessels. Hence extensive use of aluminium in the superstructure has been made, and Cochin Shipyard has developed special techniques to ensure high-quality welding and fabrication of aluminium structures. The shipyard has achieved excellent weight control on these ships right through the build process which resulted in difference between the design weight and actual weight of only about 2 metric tons i.e. a difference of less that 1%. All the vessels delivered have achieved speeds in excess of the contracted speed during sea trials and surpassed the expectations of Indian Coast Guard with regard to the performance requirements.

The primary role of the vessel include fisheries protection and monitoring, patrol within exclusive economic zone (EEZ), coastal patrol, and anti-smuggling, anti piracy and search and rescue operations. The vessels have a secondary role of providing communication link and escorting convoys during hostilities and war time. As per contract worth INR 1500 crore signed in Delhi on 20 October 2010 between Preethi Sudan, joint secretary in the Defence Ministry and Bejoy Bhaskar, Deputy General Manager, Cochin Shipyard Limited, the first ship is to be delivered within 20 months and one every three months thereafter. The vessels are being built under the dual classification requirements of American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping.

The total outfitting package has been designed,supplied and installed by M/s Sushmalethe Marinetec Private Limited, Mumbai.

Ships of the class
ICGS 'Aadesh', the first Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) of the series was launched on January 9, 2013. The vessel bearing the yard Hull No. BY 501 was launched by Smt. Jayasree Muralidharan, in the presence of Vice Admiral M P Muralidharan, AVSM, NM, Director General, Indian Coast Guard. Commodore K. Subramaniam, C&MD, senior Officials of the Coast Guard, Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard Ltd were also present. The vessel 'Aadesh' was delivered to the Coast Guard after successful completion of all its trials on September 25, 2013. It will be operated by the Coast Guard station at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.

The Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) on March 21, 2013 launched the second Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV). The vessel, named 'Abheek', was launched by Jayasree Chandran in the presence of DIG Satish Chandran, Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters 4, DIG T P Sadanandan, CGRPS (K) of Indian Coast Guard and Commodore K Subramaniam, C&MD, Cochin Shipyard Ltd. The launch was a spectacle to behold. The FPV was placed on specially-designed cradles and transported over the entire length of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier which is located at the building dock, before being lowered into the waters.

The third fast patrol vessel (FPV) was launched on May 28, 2013. Nina Paul Antony launched the vessel ‘Abhinav’ bearing yard hull no. BY 503 in the presence of Coast Guard DIG Satish Chandran, Commander District headquarters No 4 and DIG T P Sadanandan, CGRPS (K) of Indian Coast Guard.

The fourth Fast Patrol Vessel being built for the Coast Guard. The vessel was launched on September 30, 2013 by Dr Ranjini Raghavan, in the presence of Coast Guard commanders—DIG Satish Chandran, and DIG T P Sadanandan. The vessel was named 'Abhiraj'. Fast patrol Vessel 'Abhiraj' is expected to join Tuticorin ICG station.

The fifth and sixth Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) being built for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) were launched on December 2, 2013. The vessel bearing the yard Hull No. BY 505 was launched by Mrs. Rukmani Ravikumar Roddam, wife of Sri. Ravikumar Roddam, Director (Finance) and Hull No. BY506 was launched by Dr. (Mrs.) Suchetha Vinayakumar, wife of Shri P Vinayakumar, Director (Technical) in the presence of Mrs. Hema Subramaniam, wife of Commodore K. Subramaniam, C&MD, Directors and other senior Officials of CSL and Indian Coast Guard. The vessels were named 'Achook' and 'Agrim' in the ceremony.

The fifth vessel ICGS Achook which was handed over to the Coast Guard on March 28, 2014.

Cochin Shipyard, on March 29, 2014 launched, the eighth of the 20 Fast Patrol Vessel being built for the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel was launched by Smt Arti Bhatnagar, Joint Secretary & Finance Manager (Maritime Systems), Ministry of Defense in a simple ceremony at Cochin Shipyard. Cmde K. Subramaniam, CMD, CSL, Shri Ravikumar Roddam, Director (Finance), CSL, Shri Vinayakumar P, Director (Technical) and other senior CSL officials were present on the occasion.