Mira Bhayandar, India. 11 October 2024. The Indian Navy marked a significant milestone on October 10, 2024, with the launch of the ‘Missile Cum Ammunition Barge, LSAM 12 (Yard 80)’, the sixth vessel in an ongoing project to enhance naval logistics and firepower capabilities. Built by MSME Shipyard M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd (SEPPL) in Visakhapatnam, the barge was launched at M/s Vinayaga Marine Petro Ltd, Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra. The ceremony was presided over by Commodore MV Raj Krishna, CoY(Mbi), reflecting the Navy’s commitment to bolstering its operational readiness through indigenously built support vessel.
The contract for constructing 08 Missile Cum Ammunition Barges was signed between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, Visakhapatnam, on 19 February 2021. The deployment of these barges will significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy by facilitating the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of ammunition and other vital materials to naval platforms, both alongside jetties and in outer harbours.
Indigenously designed and built in compliance with the relevant Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping, these barges represent a significant achievement for India’s defence industry. The design-stage model testing was conducted at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam, further ensuring their reliability and performance. These barges proudly exemplify the Government of India’s Make in India initiative, demonstrating the nation’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
