In a bid to bolster its operational capabilities, the Indian Navy formally inducted the sixth Missile–Cum–Ammunition (MCA) Barge, LSAM 12 (Yard 80), during a ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Saturday. The event was presided over by Commodore Abhirup Majumdar, Command Refit Officer, Western Naval Command Headquarters.

According to a statement by the Navy, the contract for the construction of eight MCA Barges was awarded to SECON Engineering Projects Pvt. Ltd., an MSME shipyard in Visakhapatnam, earlier this year in February. The barges were indigenously designed in collaboration with an Indian ship design firm and successfully model-tested for seaworthiness at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam. Built in compliance with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) standards, these barges reflect the Navy’s commitment to the “Make in India” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives.

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The induction of LSAM 12 and its sister barges will significantly enhance the Navy’s logistical and operational capabilities by facilitating the transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of ammunition and other supplies to naval platforms, both alongside jetties and in outer harbors.