Aadesh-class patrol vessel


Aadesh-class patrol vessels are a series of twenty fast patrol vessels built for the Indian Coast Guard by Cochin Shipyard Limited at its shipyard in Kochi, Kerala. The ships have been designed by M/s Smart Engineering & Design Solutions, a naval architecture company based in Kakkanad near Kochi.

Design

Aadesh-class vessels have a length of, a beam of, and a draught of with a design speed of over. They are powered by Rolls-Royce Power Systems-supplied triple type 16V 4000 M90 engines with an output of at 2,100 rpm, coupled with ZF 7600 gearboxes and propelled by triple Rolls-Royce Kamewa 71S3NP water jets. This enables the vessels to operate in shallow waters and offers higher speeds and better maneuverability than conventional propellers. The MTU 'Callosum' ship automation system monitors the ship's services that also incorporates fire detection and extinguishing systems. The navigation package was supplied by Northrop Grumman and includes multi-function displays, electronic chart display and information system, autopilot, magnetic compass, and the NAVIGAT 3000 fiberoptic gyrocompass.
The vessels are equipped with a long-range gun and modern vessel control, navigation, and communication tools. They are capable of seven days' continuous deployment at sea without replenishing supplies. These FPVs are small in size when compared to other large vessels that Cochin Shipyard has built. Extensive use of aluminum in the superstructure was made to reduce weight, and Cochin Shipyard has developed special techniques to ensure high-quality welding and fabrication of aluminum structures. All the vessels delivered achieved speeds in excess of the contracted speed during sea trials and surpassed the expectations of the Indian Coast Guard with regard to the performance requirements.
The primary roles of the vessel include fisheries protection and monitoring, patrol within India's exclusive economic zone, coastal patrol, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and search and rescue operations. The vessels also have a secondary role of providing communication link and escorting convoys during hostilities and wartime.

Construction

Aadesh, the first vessel of the series, was launched on 9 January 2013 by Jayasree Muralidharan, in the presence of her husband, Vice Admiral M P Muralidharan, Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. Aadesh was delivered to the Coast Guard after successful completion of all its trials on 25 September 2013. It has been operated from the Coast Guard station at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
The second vessel, named Abheek, was launched by on 21 March 2013. For the launch, the FPV was placed on specially designed cradles and transported over the entire length of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (Vikrant) that was located at the building dock before being lowered into the waters.
The third vessel, Abhinav, was launched on 28 May 2013. The fourth vessel, Abhiraj, was launched on 30 September 2013 and was expected to join the Tuticorin ICG station. The fifth and sixth fast patrol vessels were launched on 2 December 2013 and were named Achook and Agrim in the launching ceremony. Achook was handed over to the Coast Guard on 28 March 2014.

Operational history

On 4 April 2024, ICGS Amogh responded quickly to save the lives of 27 Bangladeshi fishermen who were stranded at sea on their fishing boat. On 4 April at approximately 11:30 a.m., crew aboard Amogh spotted the Bangladeshi fishing boat Sagar II drifting inside Indian seas while on patrol near the Indo-Bangladesh International Maritime Border Line. The ICG ship dispatched a boarding team to look into it. It was discovered that the boat suffered a steering gear malfunction. There were 27 crew members and fisherman aboard Sagar II. The Coast Guard technical team, after an inspection, concluded the "completely damaged" rudder could not be repaired mid-sea. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Coast Guard was notified about the situation and the response plan by the Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters in Kolkata. The BCG dispatched BCGS Kamaruzzaman to tow Sagar II. At around 18:45 the same day, Kamaruzzaman approached the IMBL. The 27 Bangladeshi fishermen and their boat were turned over to Kamaruzzaman by Amogh.
On 17 July 2024, the Indian Coast Guard carried out a rescue operation of the Indian fishing boat Aashni. The boat with 11 crew and around from Kochi, Kerala, faced heavy rain and challenging weather conditions. Due to loss of propulsion and flooding from a hull rupture close to the keel, the vessel was in a serious situation. A Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft of the ICG located the IFB on the night of 16 July 2024. ICGS Saksham, a, was immediately diverted towards its location after receiving an order from the ICG District Headquarters No 4. Eventually, ICGS Abhinav, an Aadesh-class patrol vessel, was also deployed along with a HAL Dhruv. The technical team from the ICG assisted in the de-flooding operations and rescued the crew members and recovered the distressed vessel. After the culmination of the operation, the boat was handed over to the Fisheries Department.
On 25 August 2024, the ICG rescued 11 crew members from the sinking merchant vessel MV ITT Puma. The ship was travelling from Kolkata to Port Blair when it sank south of Sagar Island due to adverse weather and sea environment. The search and rescue operation was conducted in coordination by Amogh, ICGS Sarang and an ICG Dornier 228 aircraft.
On 18 November 2024, ICGS Agrim rescued seven fishermen, whose boat fishing boat Kal Bhairav had been damaged and sank near the maritime boundary between India and Pakistan. The crew of the fishing boat had been interned aboard the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency vessel PMSS Nusrat. After Agrim intercepted Nusrat, an agreement was reached to turn over the crew of Kal Bhairav to the Indian Coast Guard. Agrim returned to Okha Port and all fishermen were reported to be in good health conditions.

Ships in class

Yard NumberNamePennant NumberLaunchedCommissionedHome Port
501Aadesh2369 January 201313 December 2013Tuticorin
502Abheek23721 March 201331 December 2013Chennai
503Abhinav23828 May 201315 January 2014Kochi
504Abheraj23930 September 20132 September 2014Tuticorin
505Achook24029 November 20137 June 2014Mumbai
506Agrim24129 November 20137 June 2014Mumbai
507Amal242-18 July 2014Goa
508Amartya24329 March 201419 October 2014New Mangalore
509Ameya2445 June 201419 January 2015Karaikal
510Amogh2455 August 201419 January 2015Paradip
511Anagh24630 September 201429 March 2015Chennai
512Ankit24728 November 201414 May 2015Porbandar
513Anmol24817 January 201515 October 2015Haldia
514Apoorva24926 February 201521 September 2015Goa
515Arinjay25022 April 201512 October 2015Okha-Gujarat
516Arnvesh25110 June 201522 March 2016Visakhapatnam
517Arush25230 July 201526 May 2016Porbandar
518Aryaman25329 September 201521 November 2016Kochi
519Atulya2547 December 201521 November 2016Visakhapatnam port change to Thoothukudi in mid April 2021.
520Ayush25529 January 201618 February 2017Krishnapatnam