Coast Guard inducts intercepts boat in WB

The vessel will operate under the operational and administrative control of the Coast Guard District Headquarters at Haldia, further enhancing its operational capabilities to undertake multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue including medical evacuation.

Inspector General VSR Murthy, Commander Coast Guard Region (NE) commissioned ICGS C-418, the first of the two planned interceptor boatsto be inducted for Coast Guard operations in West Bengal and adjoining regions.

Deputy Commandant Pratip Modak, the designated Captain, assumed Command of ICGS C-418 after reading out the ‘Commissioning Warrant’ issued by the DG ICG, which was followed by hoisting of Colours.

With the commissioning pennant being broken at the last bar of the national anthem, ICGS C-418 became the 18th in the series of 36 IBs being designed and built by M/s L&T for Indian Coast Guard.

The 27-metre long boat will have a ‘company of men’ comprising one officer and 14 enrolled personnel.

The boat can achieve speeds in excess of 45 knots and has an endurance of 500 nautical miles with an economical speed of 20 knots.

The interceptor boat is equipped with advanced navigational and communication equipment and has a 12.7 mm, heavy machine gun as its main armament. The craft is also fitted with infrared and night vision cameras enabling day and night surveillance.

Outlining the capability build-up of Coast Guard in the North-East Region since 2012, IG Murthy in his address stated that in the last two years, three stations at Kolkata, Gopalpur, Frazerganj and an Air Enclave at Bhubaneswar were commissioned.

Further, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, two Fast Patrol Vessels, two Air Cushion Vehicles (hovercraft), three Interceptor Boats including C-418 and one Dornier aircraft have joined the region, he also said.

The second interceptor boat will join the fleet at Haldia by September, next.

Meanwhile, on the coastal surveillance network, the IG added that while radar stations have been already set up at Paradip and Gopalpur on the Odisha Coast, work for setting up of radar station at Sagar off West Bengal Coast is in progress.

Lauding the efforts of M/S L&T Hazira Shipbuilding Unit and Coast Guard Refit and Production Superintendent at Surat, IG Murthy stated that the vessel would be ideally suited for close to coast operations off Sunderbans due to its shallow draught and high speed.