The induction ceremony for the eighth Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) Barge, LSAM 22 (Yard 132), was held on January 6, 2025, at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The ceremony was graced by the Chief Guest, Commodore Vinay Venkataram, Officer-in-Charge of the Fleet Maintenance Unit, Mumbai.
The contract for the construction and delivery of 11 ACTCM Barges was signed on March 5, 2021, with M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt. Ltd., Thane, a Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) shipyard. With the delivery of LSAM 22, a total of seven barges have already been inducted. Additionally, the shipyard has been awarded a contract to construct and deliver four Sullage Barges for the Indian Navy, underscoring the Navy’s commitment to supporting MSMEs.
The barges have been indigenously designed in collaboration with an Indian ship design firm and model-tested at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam, to ensure seaworthiness. Built in compliance with Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), these barges stand as proud symbols of the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
The induction of these barges will enhance the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities by facilitating the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of ammunition and other articles to naval platforms, both alongside jetties and at outer harbors.
