Indigenous Air Cushion Vehicle Joins Indian Coast Guard Fleet
Designed and built in India, the Air Cushion Vehicle—commonly known as a hovercraft—is capable of operating seamlessly over water, mudflats, marshes, sandbanks, and shallow coastal areas. Its unique amphibious capability makes it an ideal platform for coastal surveillance, search and rescue, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and maritime law enforcement.
The induction of the indigenous ACV is expected to significantly enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to conduct rapid-response operations, especially in challenging coastal and estuarine environments where conventional vessels face operational limitations.
The addition of the new platform reinforces the Government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative by promoting indigenous defence production while strengthening maritime security, coastal protection, and emergency response capabilities across India’s coastline.
