The Indian Coast Guard has inducted its first indigenously built Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV), a hovercraft designated H-561.
The vessel was constructed at the shipyard of Chowgule & Company Private Limited in Goa. Hovercraft ride on a cushion of air and can move over water, mudflats, marshes and beaches, making them useful for shallow-water patrol, coastal surveillance and search-and-rescue missions. The induction is a step towards self-reliance in building specialised craft for maritime security.