Indian Navy launches Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel Sanghmitra on 21 May 2026

Exam-focused facts from the 23 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Indian Navy launched 'Sanghmitra', a Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
The vessel, designated as Yard 3039, was launched by Sarita Vatsayan, Vice President of the Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA).
'Sanghmitra' is part of a programme to build 11 NGOPVs simultaneously at two shipyards, namely GRSE and Goa Shipyard Limited.
The ship is named after the daughter of Emperor Ashoka and its crest features the constellation Ursa Major and a red-and-white lighthouse motif.
The vessels are designed for maritime surveillance, coastal and offshore defence, search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), anti-piracy patrols, and protection of offshore assets.