Mumbai: The Indian Navy marked another significant milestone with the induction of ‘Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 21’, the seventh barge in the 11-barge ACTCM project. The vessel, built by M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, a Thane-based MSME shipyard, was delivered at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and will serve at Naval Armament Depot (NAD) Karanja.
The induction ceremony was presided over by Cmde SV Shidore, AGM (PR), ND (Mumbai), who highlighted the operational significance of these barges in facilitating the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of ammunition and other vital articles to Indian Navy platforms, both alongside jetties and in outer harbours.
The contract for building 11 ACTCM Barges was signed on 5 March 2021 between the Ministry of Defence and M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd. These barges have been designed and built in India, following the relevant Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping. Their model testing was undertaken at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam, demonstrating India’s growing expertise in shipbuilding technology.