Indian Coast Guard Orders Interceptor Boats
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro has won an order worth $215 million for the design and construction of 36 high-speed interceptor boats for the Indian coast guard, and is in the running for more orders, including the Indian navy’s second line of conventional submarines. Indigenously designed at L&T Marine & Ship Design Division, a part of the $8-billion company’s Heavy Engineering Division, the interceptor boats will have an aluminum-alloy hull construction with water jet propulsion for quick response. The interceptors also can operate effectively in shallow water, which is critical for near-shore action. The Indian navy and coast guard have large requirements for defense vessels and submarines to enhance and replace their aging fleets. L&T has identified shipbuilding as a major thrust area. While the interceptor boats will be constructed at L&T’s existing shipyard at Hazira in the...