New Delhi: Strengthening its presence and
fleet in the Indian maritime zone to tackle terrorist
activities in the post 26/11 scenario, the Indian Coast Guard
is planning to procure 40 ships of different types for its
fleet.
"We will soon issue global tenders for procuring six
Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs)
and 20 interceptor boats for increasing our strength in the
maritime boundary along both the eastern and western
sea-board," Coast Guard officials told agency here.
The sea-guarding agency has already initiated the
procurement process by issuing a global Request for
Information to both Indian and global ship manufacturers.
The vessels, officials said, would be used to protect
India`s offshore assets such as oil rigs and fishing trawlers
along with launching operations against narcotics smugglers
and search and rescue missions.
Of the three different types of ships to be procured, the
OPVs would be largest.
The Coast Guard wants OPVs to be around 100 meters long
and not weighing more than 2,000 tonnes in displacement and
would be operated by a crew of over 100 personnel including
officers.
Post 26/11, the Government had approved a massive
expansion plan for the Coast Guard.
The country`s 7,500 km long coastline touches nine states
and four Union territories and is dotted with 12 major and 180
minor ports.
Coast Guard Chief Vice Admiral Anil Chopra had said the
force levels and the manpower in the force will increase by
double in "next few years" and triple in the next decade.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had sanctioned
the 40 ships, 20 boats and 42 aircraft in February last year
and later accepted the need for another seven Offshore Patrol
vessels, 20 Fast patrol vessels and 12 Dornier aircraft.
Terrorists had used the sea route to enter Mumbai on
November 26, 2008 for carrying out attacks on multiple targets
in which over 160 people were killed.
Setting up of 227 Coastal Police Stations is also being
planned in two phases.
Coast Guard gets new patrol vessel
The Coast Guard today
commissioned an in-shore patrol vessel at Kakinada port near
here.
Commander (EIG) M A Talha, who commissioned the vessel,
Gangadevi, said it would protect coastal areas besides
providing protection to properties of various oils companies
in the Krishna-Godavari Basin.
The vessel would also respond to exigencies of fishermen,
he said.
It will also patrol the coastal areas in coordination
with Customs and Marine Police, he said.
PTI
