Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi leads launch ceremony of Navy’s new torpedo barge

New Delhi, Sep 9 In a major boost to 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives of the government, Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi led the launch ceremony of the 11th Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) Barge at Thane, an official said on Tuesday.

The Barge has been indigenously designed and built by a Thane-based shipyard in collaboration with an Indian Ship Design firm and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) respectively.

The launch ceremony for the ACTCM Barge, Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM 25), Yard 135, was held on Monday at Suryadipta Projects, Thane, with Rear Admiral Bishnoi as the Chief Guest, the official said in a statement.

The contract for construction of 11 ACTCM for the Indian Navy was concluded on March 5, 2021.

The Barge’s Model testing was undertaken at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam for seaworthiness.

The Shipyard has successfully delivered 10 of 11 Barges till date and are being effectively utilised by the Indian Navy for its operational evolutions, said the official.

In another development, warships for the Indian Navy being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) may soon get doors and hatches made of composite material.

The GRSE, on September 3, signed a Teaming Agreement with Merlinhawk Aerospace for the design, development, and manufacture of composite doors and hatches for the warships. This agreement is aimed towards establishing a collaborative framework that aligns with the Navy's modernisation initiatives.

Composite doors and hatches on ships are lightweight, durable and resistant to moisture, salt and corrosion. As they are lighter, the overall weight of the ship gets reduced, improving its endurance. Composites are also impervious to the corrosive effects of salt water and high humidity encountered at sea. This reduces maintenance and replacement costs.

Composite doors offer excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, contributing to energy efficiency and a sound-proof environment that is so important during operations. Composite doors and hatches can also be manufactured with integrated fire retardants to meet different standards.

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