By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Wednesday inducted a new Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) at Visakhapatnam that will aid the maritime force to secure the eastern coastline from terror threats, smuggling, gun-running, poaching and other such crimes.
Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, who has earlier served as the ICG director general, inducted ICGS Rajkiran into service in the presence of East Coast Guard Region Commander Inspector General S.P. Sharma.
The vessel, the third in a series of eight IPVs, is designed and built by the Kolkata-based defence public sector undertaking Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.
The 50-metre indigenous IPV displaces 300 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 34 knots, with an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 16 knots.
Equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and advanced communication and navigational systems, it is ideal for close-coast missions such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, and medical evacuation, according to a defence ministry release here.
Special features of the ship include an Integrated Bridge Management System (IBMS), Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS) and an integrated gun mount with indigenous Fire Control system (FCS).
ICGS Rajkiran, literally meaning ‘Royal Light’, will be based at Haldia in West Bengal and will be under the administrative and operational control of the Northeast Coast Guard Region commander.
In his address during the commissioning ceremony, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra assured that the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are working in tandem to achieve the overall objective of maritime and coastal security of the country.
He also stated that there are numerous stakeholders involved in coastal security and building synergy amongst all of them is extremely important to achieve the common goal of national security.
ICGS Rajkiran will be commanded by Lieutenant Commander Sumanta Roy, a specialist in anti-submarine warfare. It will have a crew of five officers and 30 enlisted personnel.