An indigenously built interceptor boat was handed over to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at an event at Hazira in Surat district on Tuesday.
The vessel will operate from Gujarat under the control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (North-West) of the ICG.
Built by Larsen and Toubro at its Hazira plant, the interceptor boat C-454 was commissioned by Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar in presence of Commander Coast Guard Region (NW).
After getting an intelligence input, the boat can swiftly and immediately reach to the location. The alloy used in this ship is 2.5 times lighter, as a result of which the speed increases with short time and it can run deep into the sea.
Its capacity is it can run 24 hours without outsider logistic support. At the time of need, coast Guards can use this boat to reach to the international boundary.
There are a total of 16 interceptor boats with the ICG in Gujarat. Two more ships in March and June next year and this will add more in terms of the security of our country.
The sea in India is the prominent gateway to the world. The maritime trade and commerce had played an important role in the growth of Gujarat.
Various new threats had emerged at the Indian coast, making coastal security a critical responsibility in addition to our mandated roles such as search and rescue, pollution response etc.
Capacity of building in all spheres is essentially focused on making our seas safer and conducive activities in law enforcement and maritime commerce.
The boat has two riffles and single pistol, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun (Prahari) on board as main armament. It can run at the speed of 45 knots (or 85 kilometres per hour).
This boat (over 27 metres long) is made for interdiction (chase and catch) and for search and rescue. The ship is equipped with two twin diesel engines, twin water jet propulsion and has the endurance of 500 nautical miles at 25 knots of speed.
ICG is important for the security of our country. The quality of this boat is up to the mark and will also increase the strength of the coast guard.
The interceptor boat will ensure maritime security of Gujarat’s 1,600-km coastline. Inspector General Rakesh Pal said the interceptor boat has state-of-the-art elements in terms of engine, navigation system or weaponry system and was another feather in the cap of the state of Gujarat.
The vessel will enhance the Indian Coast Guard’s operational capability to discharge multifarious maritime tasks.
Presently, the Indian Coast Guard has a fleet of 155 ships and 62 aircraft and 35 more ships are at various stages of construction at different Indian shipyards.
16 advance light helicopters are under production at the HAL, Bengaluru, which will provide an added strength to the surveillance capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard to deal with the ever-dynamic maritime challenges.
