The Indian Navy that protects & guards the sea lanes and ports is in a spot as they need these ships urgently.
The Indian Navy is short on minesweeper warship. It currently has only 2 when in fact 12 more are needed.
“The Navy needs these ships urgently,” said Rear Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Assistant Chief of Material, Indian Navy.
Minesweepers are small naval warships that detect and destroy underwater mines and are considered vital for keeping the critical sea lanes safe for movement of essential cargo, including crude oil.
The basic function of these ships would be to locate, classify, sweep and neutralise all types of ground moored and drift mines.
As per the latest reports, Defence PSU Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) is collaborating with a foreign company to manufacture minesweepers.
The manufacturing of minesweepers will cost around Rs 32,000 crore project, which needs a foreign collaborator.
Earlier this year, the government had cancelled the project to build 12 minesweeper ships under its ‘Make in India’ scheme. The vessels were to made in the Goa Shipyard in partnership with South Korea.
The dead was reportedly cancelled as South Korean shipyard Kangnam wanted changes in the RPF. This is one of the six major projects scrapped by the government due to procedural bottlenecks. These projects were to be carried out in India and were worth over Rs 3.5 lakh crore.
Last year, the parliament slammed the government for the delay in the purchase of minesweepers and were asked to fill the gap in the Navy’s capability.
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