Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has received an order valued at `447 crores from the Ministry of Defence for the construction of 18 High-Speed Interceptor Boats for the Indian Coast Guard.

This follows the earlier contract, valued at `977 crores, for 36 similar vessels.

With this order, L&T is positioned as the foremost Indian shipyard in terms of capability to indigenously design and construct the largest number of Interceptor Boats for India’s Ministry of Defence. Designed and constructed by L&T entirely through in-house capability, the first of these boats has already been delivered to the Indian Coast Guard.

The Interceptor Boat is a ‘planing craft’, capable of achieving speeds exceeding 40 Knots. Built with a full aluminium-alloy lightweight hull, it is powered by a twin water-jet propulsion system to enable quick response crucial for coastal surveillance. These boats are expected to significantly enhance India’s coastal security.

The contract was signed on 22 January 2013.