Couach fast interceptor boats are patrol boats being built by the French shipyard Chantier Naval Couach for the Indian Navy.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Couach fast interceptor boats |
| Builders | Chantier Naval Couach, Gujan-Mestras, France |
| Operators |  Indian Navy |
| Built | 2010–2012 |
| In commission | July 2011–present[1] |
| Planned | 15 |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type | Plascoa 1300 Fast Interceptor Boat |
| Displacement | 12 long tons (12 t) |
| Length | 43 m (141 ft 1 in) |
| Beam | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) |
| Propulsion | 2 × 800 hp (597 kW) MAN R6-800 engines |
| Speed | 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) |
| Range | 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement | 4 |
Background
editOn 27 March 2010, in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Indian Navy placed an order worth around 600m rupees (US$13.2m) for 15 boats with Chantier Naval Couach, to improve their coastal security net.[1]
Vessel
editThe Couach fast interceptor boats are equipped with twin 800 hp (597 kW) MAN engines driving through a complete Twin Disc propulsion system consisting of MGX-5114A QuickShift transmissions, ASD11 Arneson Surface Drives with BCS trim tabs and EC300 electronic controls, and can achieve a top speed of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph).
Deployment
editThe first three interceptor boats were inducted by the Indian Navy in Mumbai during the last week of June 2011. Twelve more are due to be inducted by the end of 2012. These boats will be utilised by various Indian Navy units to patrol and intercept suspicious vessels closed to vital domestic assets.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Indian Navy to Acquire 80 Interceptor Boats from Sri Lanka". defencenow.com. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ "Plascoa Couach Patrol boats". plascoa.com. 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2012.