Goa Shipyard has delivered 2nd SL AOPV to Shi Lanka Navy ceremoniously on 22nd March 2018, 25 days ahead of schedule. The vessel will be the largest and most advanced ship in the Shri Lanka Navy fleet. This is the fourth OPV delivered in the current financial year. The ceremony was attended by Chitranganee Wagiswara, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Navy in India; Rear Admiral NBJ Rosayro, Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy; RAdm Shekhar Mital, CMD GSL, Directors and senior officials of Sri Lankan Navy, Indian Navy, Coast Guard and GSL.
SLOPV Project for building two large size ships is one of most significant defence co-operation between India and Sri Lanka & one of the largest export contracts, being executed by GSL currently for friendly countries. The Keel of the vessel was laid on 09th May 2015 and was launched on 2th May 2017. It is creditable for the shipyard to complete this significant export project and deliver the vessel 25 Days ahead of contractual schedule.
With this, the shipyard has succeeded in reducing build period of 2500 Tonnes OPV to nearly 3 years from over 5 years taken till about 3 years back. SLNS Sayurala, the first AOPV of the series delivered in July 2017 ahead of contractual schedule, is performing exceedingly well and has received positive feedbacks for GSL for the build quality and state of the art machinery.
Speaking on the occasion, RAdm Mital said, “This state-of–the art and largest ship in the Sri Lanka Naval fleet will help meet the increasing requirement of the Sri Lanka Navy for undertaking policing and patrolling of its vast Exclusive Economic Zone.” He further added “Great care, attention and forethought have gone in ensuring that this vessel is built to highest standards and the same has been validated in the harbour and sea trials, where ship has achieved all design specifications, to the satisfaction of the our special friend Sri Lanka Navy”.
