At Naval Base Karwar on Tuesday, Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar dedicated a 350-meter-long major pier for Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) as well as a residential building. Phase IIA of Project Seabird, which is now underway, includes these infrastructure improvements. Phase IIA will house 32 ships and submarines, 23 yardcraft, a dual-use military Air Station, a fully operational military dockyard, four covered dry berths, and ship and aircraft logistics.

The 350-meter-long Pier 3 OPV Pier can berth large survey vessels, mine countermeasure vessels, and OPVs. The Navy added in a statement that the pier will also supply the ships with a variety of shore-based amenities, including electricity, potable water, chilled water for air conditioning, a 30-ton mobile crane, and other domestic services.

According to the statement, the residential housing consists of two towers with 80 apartments each for married officers and 149 apartments for single officers, as well as associated facilities and outside services. In addition, six towers housing 360 apartments of Type-II for civilian employees of the Defence Department were opened.

Around 10,000 military and civilian personnel with families will reside at the base after Phase IIA of Project Seabird is finished, greatly enhancing the regional economy and industrial growth, according to the Navy. “It is expected that the Naval Air Station with civil enclave will improve tourism in South Goa and North Karnataka.”

There are now 7,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs being created by Project Seabird’s Phase IIA construction. With more than 90% of the materials sourced domestically, the project is in line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat plan.

Ms. Kumar officially opened a new NWWA Kendra on April 5 that houses conference space, office space, and welfare amenities including yoga and wellness rooms and schools.

Admiral Kumar also announced the launch of “SAMPARK 3.0,” an outreach programme for the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) that will see a group of officers and sailors from Naval Headquarters and SNC visit various polyclinics in Kerala over the course of eight days and engage in conversation with veterans and veer naris at outlying locations. The Navy also reported that he opened a brand-new married housing complex with 74 apartments and contemporary amenities for DSC troops.