The launching ceremony on August 14 drew Rear Admiral KJ Kumar, Flag Commanding Officer of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area and Deputy Chief of the Vietnam Border Guard Command Lt. Gen. Hoang Dang Nhieu who led a Vietnamese delegation to the event.
Addressing the ceremony, Lt. Gen. Nhieu said Vietnamese and Indian leaders have worked together to strengthen cooperation in many areas, including ship building.
The project, the first specific project in the defense partnership between the two countries, plays an important role in fostering bilateral defense ties, he said, expressing his hope the project will be a great success.
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The ships are designed by Larsen & Toubro. |
CEO of Larsen & Toubro Shipbuilding B Kannan said the project is of strategic significance for Vietnam and India.
He pledged the company will complete the project as scheduled with the highest quality. So far, Larsen & Toubro has handed over 46 aluminum alloy ships to the Indian coast guard force, he noted.
The high speed patrol ships are designed to help coast guards supervise and safeguard sea sovereignty, detect illegal activities such as smuggling and perform search and rescue missions.
The aluminum alloy ships are about 35m in length with top speed of 35 nautical miles per hour. They are equipped with modern guiding, monitoring and defense devices.
Five of the 13 ships, all designed by the Larsen & Toubro, will be built at Kattupalli Shipyard of Larsen & Toubro, while the rest will be erected at Hong Ha Shipyard of Vietnam with support from the Indian firm.
Source: VNA