On November 20, 2023, the fourth barge of the 08 x Missile Cum Ammunition Barge project, ‘Missile Cum Ammunition Barge, LSAM 10 (Yard 78)’ was launched at Guttenadeevi, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. The barge was built by MSME Shipyard, M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd (SEPPL) for the Indian Navy. The launching ceremony was presided over by Commodore Shanmugam Sabesan, CRO (East).
The contract for the construction of the eight Missile Cum Ammunition Barges was signed between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, Visakhapatnam on February 19, 2021. The availability of these barges will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy by facilitating the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of articles and ammunition to Indian Navy ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbors.
These barges are indigenously designed and built in compliance with the relevant Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). Model testing of the barge was conducted during the design stage at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam. These barges embody the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India (GoI).
