The Coast Guard on Thursday inducted the first of 36 interceptor boats as part of its measures to beef up the country’s coastal security.
The interceptor boat, designed and built by Larsen and Toubro’s Surat unit, was commissioned at Porbander in Gujarat by Gandhinagar-based South Western Air Command chief Air Marshal A K Gogoi, a Coast Guard officer said here. The orders for these boats were placed after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The 30-metre interceptor boat with 90-tonne displacement can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots or around 80 km per hour. The vessel is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment and medium-range armament.
“It is designed for high-speed interception, close-coast patrol, low-intensity maritime operations, search and rescue and maritime surveillance,” the officer said.
With the commissioning of the C-401 interceptor boat, the force level of Coast Guard has gone up to 77 ships and boats. With more planned inductions in the pipeline, the force level would double by 2018.
The interceptor boat C-401 will be based at Mundra in Gujarat under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (North-West). The vessel is commanded by Deputy Commandant Lakshya Sharma and has a crew with an officer and 11 enrolled personnel. Commander Coast Guard Region (North West) Deputy Inspector General B S Yadav attended the induction ceremony.
In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Centre had decided to strengthen the coastal security forces by increasing their capacities through induction of new platforms and manpower.
