The Indian Navy received the delivery of its latest Ammunition-Cum-Torpedo-Cum-Missile (ACTCM) barge.
The acquisition is a major boost to the country's blue water force, a statement from the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Tuesday.
The barge was manufactured by Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, a Thane-based shipbuilding company, before being delivered to the Indian Navy on Monday.
This is the fifth such vessel built under an agreement signed between the MoD and Suryadipta in March 2021.
The Navy explained that these barges would "facilitate transportation, embarkation and disembarkation of articles/ammunition to ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbors".
"These Barges are indigenously designed and built under relevant Naval Rules and Regulation of Indian Register of Shipping," the MoD noted. "The model testing of the Barge during the design stage was undertaken at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam. These Barges are proud flag bearers of Make in India initiative of Government of India."