Why in News?
India inducted its first indigenously built Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV), designated H-561, into the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on 18 June 2026 at Chowgule & Company’s shipyard in Goa.
Technology & Capabilities of H-561
- Amphibious Operation: ACVs use powerful motorized fans to trap a cushion of pressurized air beneath the hull, held in by a flexible rubber skirt.
- Frictionless Travel: By lifting entirely clear of the surface, the craft eliminates hull friction, allowing seamless transition between land, water, mud, and ice.
- Impressive Speed: The newly inducted H-561 boasts a maximum speed of 45 knots (approx. 83 km/h) and a smooth cruising speed of 35 knots.
- Capacity and Endurance: The vehicle features an operational endurance of up to nine hours and can carry a payload of 8 tonnes, accommodating up to 42 personnel.
Operational Roles & Utility
- Inaccessible Terrain Access: Ordinary patrol boats get beach-stranded in shallow waters. ACVs effortlessly navigate the mudflats of the Sundarbans, the marshy creeks of the Rann of Kutch, and tidal estuaries in the Gulf of Khambhat.
- Tactical Missions: The ICG utilizes this hovercraft for high-speed coastal surveillance, anti-smuggling patrols, reconnaissance, and rapid interception.
- Disaster Response: Its amphibious layout makes it a vital asset for swift search-and-rescue (SAR) operations during cyclones, floods, and tidal surges.
Significance for India's Maritime Industrial Base
- Defence Indigenization: The project is completed with approximately 50% indigenous content, driving down India's long-standing reliance on direct military imports.
- MSME Ecosystem Support: The local assembly lines and supply chain requirements provide an economic boost to domestic MSMEs and localized component testing facilities.
- Layered Coastal Grid: The platform reinforces India's strict multi-layered post-26/11 security grid, where Marine Police cover near-shore zones, the ICG monitors territorial waters, and the Navy guards deep-sea zones.
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