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Last Updated: 12 September 2004

H-181 outside the Regional Headquarters (East) in Chennai. Image © Indian Coast Guard

H-185 performs a high speed run along the beach. The two MTU diesel engines each produce 800 h.p. @ 2100 rpm. Image © Indian Coast Guard

These Flamingos are the least bit surprised as the massive size of H-185 lands along the shores of the Gulf of Kutch. Image © Indian Coast Guard

H-185 lies beached for operations. These vessels are very effective in high speed patrolling in shallow waters, marshy areas, mud flats, beaches, creeks and also the deep sea. Image © Indian Coast Guard

H-181 negotiating the choppy waves of the Arabian Sea. Image © Indian Coast Guard

Image © Kapil Chandni

Image © Kapil Chandni

An Indian Coast Guard Griffon 8000 TD(M) hovercraft intercept an Indian fishing boat during an exercise near Sagar Island, in the Bay of Bengal on 30 January 2004. [Image © Hindustan Times]

AIR CUSHION VEHICLE

Vessel Type: Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV).

Pennant Numbers with commission dates:
H-181 (18 September 2000)
H-182 (12 September 2001)
H-183 (12 September 2001)
H-184 (08 December 2001)
H-185 (08 December 2001)
 H-186 (26 March 2002)

Length Overall: 21.85 metres.

Beam Overall: 11.30 metres.

Beam (skirt deflated): 8.70 metres.

Draft (moulded): 0.32 metres.

Displacement: Not Known.

Main Machinery: Two MTU12V183TB32 diesel engines with 800 hp each at 2100 rpm.

Maximum Continuous Speed: 46 knots.

Maximum Intermittent Speed: 51 knots.

Endurance at Cruise Speed: 400 nautical miles.

Complement: 14 (including 2 officers).

Radar: Not Known.

Weapons: One 12.7mm machine gun.

Comments: The Indian Coast Guard ordered a total of six Griffon 8000TD(M) hovercraft from Griffon Hovercraft Ltd, England. Under the terms of the contract, the first two hovercraft (H-181 and H-182) were made in England while the other four (H-183 to H-186) were assembled by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata from completely knocked down kits. GRSE and Griffon Ltd together won a worldwide tender to supply these hovercraft and the latter has trained personnel from the Indian shipyard and the Indian Coast Guard in operation, servicing and maintenance.

The H-181 has already proved her worth saving the lives of 30 Vietnamese when their ship the MV Lucnam, sank off Sand Heads, Haldia (a port near Kolkata) in July 2001. Couple of these vessels are used for security and patrol duties along the West Bengal coast. Unconfirmed reports suggest that one hovercraft maybe deployed on Pangong Tso lake to patrol the Indo-China border. Each vessel is manned by two officers and twelve sailors. These sailors are of supervisory level trained on mechanical, electrical, aeronautical, gunnery and radar plotting.

India thus become the first country in South Asian Region to acquire hovercraft for protection of its maritime zones. These vessels are capable of patrolling shallow waters, mud flats, back waters, rivers and marshy land to intercept smugglers, terrorists, drug and gun runners. This capability gives the hovercraft a unique characteristic of carrying out amphibious operations. Due to its ability to operate in areas not accessible by conventional vessels, it will significantly enhance the operational capability of the Indian Coast Guard.

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