The keel laying for the acoustic research vessel being built for the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi under the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was conducted at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, Kolkata on Wednesday.
Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Ministry of Defense (R&D) and Chairman, DRDO, laid the keel, according to a statement.
The ship will be designed and built with minimal underwater radiated noise. It is the first time a quiet class ship is being built in the country, it said.
NPOL Director D. Seshagiri spoke.
The ship will be able to deploy and tow various devices such as acoustic modules, generate sound speed profiles, collect ocean data and deploy underwater mooring systems. It will also be equipped with special equipment for various sea trials. The vessel will be delivered in 2027, the statement added.
DRDO Director General (NS&M) RV Hara Prasad and GRSE Chairman and Managing Director PR Hari were present.
Published – 15 Oct 2025 22:34 IST
