Indian Yard Launches New Ocean Research Vessel

India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers has launched a new ocean research vessel (ORV) ordered by the country’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).

The launch of Sagar Manthan came barely five months after the laying of the keel.

Upon completion, the vessel will have an LOA of 89.5 metres, a beam of 18.8 metres, a depth of 12.5 metres, and a gross tonnage of 5,900. The propulsion will deliver a speed of 14 knots at 90 per cent MCR.

The ORV will be capable of underway swath multi-beam as well as geophysical seismic surveys in coastal seas and deep waters.

It will also be able to carry out conductivity, temperature and depth profiling and water sampling operations such as biological sampling using vertical and horizontal methods through various nets.

The NCPOR vessel will also carry out surface and deep-sea mooring and data buoy operations, seabed sampling using corers and grabs, as well as rock dredging with chain bag dredges.

It will also perform underway atmospheric observations, surface meteorological and current measurements, and collection of upper air data.

The vessel will be built with a significant percentage of local content in line with the Indian Government’s “make in India” initiative.