Girder Laying Ceremony Held in Goa for Indian Coast Guard’s New Air Cushion Vehicles

The Girder Laying Ceremony for the 4th, 5th and 6th Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs) of the Indian Coast Guard was held on 11 May 2026 in Goa. The event took place at the Rassaim Yard of Chowgule Shipyard. An Air Cushion Vehicle, commonly called a hovercraft, can move over water, shallow areas and marshy land on a cushion of air.

These hovercrafts are being built with about 50 per cent indigenous material under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative, which encourages building defence equipment within the country instead of importing it. The girder laying marks an early stage in the construction of each vessel.

The ACVs are designed for high-speed coastal patrolling, surveillance, interception of suspicious boats, and search-and-rescue operations. Because they can operate in shallow waters and marshy terrain where regular ships cannot go, they are useful for guarding India's long coastline and creeks.

For exam aspirants, the key points are the type of vessel (Air Cushion Vehicle / hovercraft), the force using it (Indian Coast Guard), the state where the ceremony was held (Goa), and its link to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat push for indigenous defence manufacturing.