- An Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV), or hovercraft, is an amphibious craft capable of operating over water, mudflats, sandbars, marshes, and shallow coastal areas.
- It functions by creating a high-pressure cushion of air beneath the hull, enclosed by a flexible rubber skirt, allowing it to glide above the surface with minimal resistance.
- The vessel is being developed indigenously by Chowgule & Company Private Limited.
- The Indian Coast Guard plans to use ACVs for rapid response, coastal security, shallow-water surveillance, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement operations.
APSC Relevance: Coastal security, maritime technology, indigenous defence manufacturing, and Indian Coast Guard.
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