An Indian Coast Guard Griffon 8000TD hovercraft
Class overview
NameGriffon Hoverwork 8000TD
BuildersGriffon Hoverwork
General characteristics
Typehovercraft
Tonnage8,000kg[1]
Length22.52 m (73 ft 11 in)[1]
Beam11 m (36 ft 1 in)[1]
Propulsion2 MTU 12V183 TB32 diesel engines for lift and propulsion, driving 2 variable-pitch propellers
Speed53.5 knots (99.1 km/h; 61.6 mph)
Capacity42-56 passengers[1]

Griffon/GRSE 8000 TD class is a series of hovercraft designed by Griffon Hovercraft Ltd, Southampton, England. It has proven to be one of Griffon's most commercially successful hovercraft.[2]

The 8000TD's most extensive customer has been the Indian Coast Guard, for which the order was jointly built by the Griffon Hoverwork and the Indian firm Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers. It has primarily been operated by military customers, including the Korea Coast Guard and the Saudi Arabian Border Guards.

Design

The Griffon Hoverwork 8000TD is a twin-engine fully-amphibious hovercraft. In Indian service, it has been typically operated by a complement of 11 personnel, which includes a pair of officers.[3] Each craft has sufficient capacity to support payloads of up to 8,000 kilograms (18,000 lb), making it suitable to carry a mixture of passengers, vehicles and miscellaneous equipment for conducting disaster relief and medical evacuation missions.[1][2] In a typical all-passenger configuration, between 42 and 56 personnel can be carried.[1]

Power is provided by a pair of 588 kilowatts (789 hp) radiator-cooled Iveco diesel engines, supplied by the German engine manufacturer MTU, which drive the craft's 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 in) variable-pitch propellers.[1] In order to minimise maintenance requirements and increase durability, many of the craft feature a touchscreen-based condition monitoring system that warns the crew of excessive vibration and other unfavourable conditions in and around the drivetrain in real-time.[2] This propulsion system reportedly enables the craft to achieve a top speed of 53.5 knots (99.1 km/h; 61.6 mph), making it suitable for high-speed patrolling while traversing coastal shallow waters, marshy areas, and creeks as well as across deep seas.[1]

The hull of the 8000TD is primarily composed of lightweight marine grade aluminium alloy, while other elements comprise a high proportion of composite materials, which are typically moulded for greater strength and longevity.[1] According to Griffon Hoverwork, each craft has an anticipated typical lifespan of 20 years with proper and regular servicing.[4] It is fitted with a 1.25 metres (4 ft 1 in) skirt which has been designed to deliver consistence and safe performance over various terrain and weather conditions. Later-built craft feature improved seakeeping capabilities and a higher top speed, along with greater clearance, and more advanced onboard navigation and surveillance systems.[5] For military operators, the craft has also typically been fitted with a single 12.7 millimetres (0.50 in) machine gun, which can be equipped to be remotely operated.[6] Some operators have opted to fit their 8000TDs with bow ramps, enabling road vehicles to be readily embarked and disembarked as required.[4]

Operational history

During 2001, it was announced that the Indian Coast Guard had formed an agreement with Griffon Hoverwork to supply an initial batch of six 8000TD hovercraft, two of which were to be manufactured at GHL's own boatyard in Southampton, England, while the remaining four craft were assembled from complete knocked-down kits (CKDs) supplied to the Indian company Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), based in Kolkata, India.[2]

During October 2010, Griffon Hoverwork was awarded a follow-on contract valued at £34 million to supply the Indian Coast Guard with a further 12 8000TD hovercraft. At the time, this deal was the largest to ever be made by the company.[7] These craft are not identical to the earlier batch, featuring several enhancements and additional pieces of equipment, often intended to improve serviceability and incorporate technical advances.[2] This order was fulfilled almost half a year ahead of schedule, the final craft being delivered at a ceremony held in Mumbai on 5 September 2014.[8][4] The Indian Coast Guard has deployed its 8000TDs in various roles, including search and rescue operations, to assist vessels in various forms of distress, as well as the surveillance and interception of offending vessels under both day and night conditions.[9]

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi performing Jal Pujan for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial in the Arabian Sea, 4 kms off Mumbai’s Marine Drive, in Mumbai on December 24, 2016 from an hovercraft of the Indian Coast Guard

Additional operators for the 8000TD series have included three examples supplied to the Korea Coast Guard, five craft for the Saudi Arabian Border Guards, and a single example bought for use at Singapore's Changi Airport.[4]

Ships of the class

Pennant NumberDate of commission HomeportRemark
Flight I
H 18118 Sep 2000 HaldiaMade by Griffon
H 18221 Sep 2001 Paradip[10]Made by Griffon
H 18321 Sep 2001[11] Mandapam[12]
H 184 OkhaDelivered in October 2001
H 185 OkhaDelivered in November 2001
H 1862002 Haldia[13]
Flight II
H 18711 June 2012 Okha[14]
H 18812 December 2012 Haldia[15]
H 18920 November 2012 Okha[15]
H 19019 February 2013 Mandapam[16]
H 19110 Apr 2013 Okha[17]
H 19223 December 2013 Mumbai[18]
H 19313 February 2014 Haldia[19]
H 19423 December 2013 Mumbai[18]
H 19513 May 2014 Mandapam[20]
H 19610 November 2014[21] Manglore[22]
H 19711 October 2014 Mandapam[3]
H 19810 November 2014 Mangalore[22]

Specifications

  • Crew: 15[6]
  • Empty weight: 30,000 kg
  • Payload: 8,000 kg[1]
  • Length: 22.52 m
  • Height: 5.52 m[23]
  • Beam: 11 m
  • Maximum speed: 50 knots or 92 km/h
  • Armament: 1 x 12.7 mm machine gun
  • Power: 2 × MTU 12V183 TB32 diesel engines
  • Propulsion: 2 × ducted CP aircrew propellers, 1,600 bhp
  • Range: 365/42
  • Fuel capacity: 2,000 litres

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "8000TD". griffonhoverwork.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Guarding Hovercraft Drivetrains". Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 "11th Hovercraft for Indian Coast Guard inducted into service". Zee News. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "India completes 8000TD hovercraft acquisition programme". janes.com. 6 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Profiles: Griffon Hoverwork". landseaairmagazine.com. 1 February 2012. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 McNair, Anand (11 June 2012). "ICGS hovercraft - Griffon 8000TD". Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  7. ↑ "Profiles: Griffon Hoverwork". landseaairmagazine.com. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "Twelfth and final hovercraft for the Indian Coastguard completed ahead of schedule". griffonhoverwork.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Indian Coast Guard Hovercraft H-187 Commissioned". gktoday.in. 11 June 2012. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "Hovercraft patrol to protect Orissa's turtles against illegal trawlers | News | Environment". infochangeindia.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ↑ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Nation". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "ICG to escort devotees to Katchativu festival". www.newindianexpress.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "English Releases". Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  15. 1 2 Watkins, Valentine. "Indian Coast Guard commissions two hovercraft". www.bairdmaritime.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Fourth UK built Hovercraft Joins Indian Coast Guard - SP's Naval Forces". www.spsnavalforces.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Indian Coast Guard Ship H-191 Commissioned". pib.nic.in. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Frontier India".
  19. ↑ "Coast Guard commissions Hovercraft H-193 in Haldia". Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "Coast Guard Mandapam station gets one more hovercraft". The Hindu. 11 May 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  21. ↑ Network, CD. "Governor to commission two Indian Coast Guard hovercrafts in Mangaluru". Coastaldigest.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  22. 1 2 "Indian Coast Guard station hovercraft in Mangalore". www.griffonhoverwork.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "Griffon 8000TD hovercraft inducted in Indian Coast Guard". Indian Defence Forum. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
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