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Key Points

GRSE has signed an agreement with Merlinhawk Aerospace to develop composite doors and hatches for Indian Navy warships. These components are lighter, more durable, and resistant to harsh marine conditions. The partnership aims to achieve over 50% indigenous content, aligning with India's self-reliance in defense. This upgrade will enhance ship performance and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Key Points: Indian Navy Warships Get GRSE Composite Doors Hatches

  • Composite materials reduce ship weight and improve operational endurance
  • Enhanced resistance to saltwater corrosion lowers maintenance costs
  • Provides superior thermal and acoustic insulation for crew comfort
  • Supports India's self-reliance goals in defense manufacturing
3 min read

Indian Navy warships to get doors and hatches of composite material, courtesy GRSE

GRSE partners with Merlinhawk Aerospace to supply lightweight composite doors and hatches for Indian Navy warships, enhancing durability and supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat.

"The collaborative association aims to achieve indigenous content of at least 50 per cent - GRSE Official"

Kolkata, Sep 4

Warships for the Indian Navy being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd may soon have doors and hatches made of composite material.

Composite doors and hatches on ships are lightweight, durable and resistant to moisture, salt and corrosion. As they are lighter, the overall weight of the ship gets reduced, improving its endurance. Composites are also impervious to the corrosive effects of salt water and high humidity encountered at sea. This reduces maintenance and replacement costs.

GRSE, on Wednesday (September 3), signed a Teaming Agreement with M/s Merlinhawk Aerospace Pvt Ltd for the design, development, and manufacture of composite doors and hatches for the warships. This agreement is aimed towards establishing a collaborative framework that aligns with the Navy's modernization initiatives.

Composite doors offer excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, contributing to energy efficiency and a sound-proof environment that is so important during operations. Composite doors and hatches can also be manufactured with integrated fire retardants to meet different standards.

Merlinhawk Aerospace is a well-known entity for its niche expertise in aerospace and defence sectors, offering design, prototyping and manufacturing solutions utilising high-end composite materials.

The collaborative association also aims to achieve indigenous content of at least 50 per cent as required under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) or Buy (Indian) categories thereby furthering the objectives of self-reliance in defence manufacturing as outlined in the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Government of India, a senior GRSE official said.

On July 31, GRSE delivered the INS Himgiri, an advanced guided missile frigate with stealth capabilities, to the Navy. The warship was commissioned into the Navy on August 26, along with its sister ship INS Udaygiri – built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd – by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The INS Himgiri is the 112th warship (and 801st ship) built by GRSE for the Navy and Coast Guard. This is a record for any shipyard in the country. It was the first of three advanced frigates that GRSE was ordered to build under the Navy’s Project 17A. The two other ships of this class are being outfitted at the shipyard.

On August 14, GRSE also delivered the INS Ikshak, a Survey Vessel (Large) to the Navy. This ship is yet to be commissioned.

At the moment, GRSE is building 14 warships of four classes for the Navy. It is also awaiting the formal signing of a contract for Next Generation Corvettes after emerging the lowest bidder.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great to see indigenous collaboration between GRSE and Merlinhawk. The 50% indigenous content requirement under Atmanirbhar Bharat is exactly what our defence sector needs. More such partnerships please!
A
Arjun K
Composite materials are the future of naval engineering. The corrosion resistance alone will save crores in maintenance costs. Hope this technology gets implemented across all our naval assets.
S
Sarah B
The thermal and acoustic insulation benefits are impressive. Better living conditions for our sailors and improved operational efficiency - win-win situation for our Navy personnel.
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Vikram M
While this is good progress, I hope the quality control is stringent. Defence applications cannot compromise on safety standards. The fire retardant properties must meet the highest specifications.
K
Karthik V
GRSE delivering 112 warships is a remarkable achievement! Proud of our shipbuilding capabilities. The INS Himgiri and upcoming Project 17A frigates will significantly boost our naval strength in the Indian Ocean region.

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