• The induction ceremony of the eighth Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, LSAM 11 (Yard 79), was held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on March 7.

• Seven of the eight MCA Barges have already been inducted into the Indian Navy.

• These barges play a crucial role in facilitating the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of articles and ammunition to Indian Navy platforms, both alongside jetties and at outer harbours.

• The contract for constructing and delivering eight MCA Barges was awarded to M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, an MSME shipyard based in Visakhapatnam, on February 19, 2021.

• These barges were indigenously designed by the shipyard in collaboration with an Indian ship designing firm and underwent successful model testing at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, to ensure seaworthiness.

• The barges were constructed in compliance with the Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).

• With the delivery of LSAM 11, the MSME Shipyard has successfully completed the contractual delivery of all eight barges to the Indian Navy.

• Their construction highlights the Indian Navy’s commitment to supporting and encouraging MSMEs in the defence sector.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)