US Coast Guard’s Stratton visits city after joint exercise

Deputy Inspector General Sanjeev Dewan, TM, Commander Coast Guard, along with other officials from the Indian Coast Guard and US Consulate welcomed the US ship at the city port.

The US vessel Stratton is on its first visit to India to take part in a joint harbour and sea exercise off the Chennai coast to promote coordination between the two maritime forces. As part of good-will visit and international cooperative efforts with the Indian Coast Guard, the US Coast Guard will conduct maritime exercises off the city coast in the Bay of Bengal till August 27.

Senior officials said that Coast Guard ships ICG Shaurya and ICG Abheek and Chetak helicopter was part in the exercise on Friday, while Stratton, the US national security cutter multi ship, and an aircraft associated with the vessel were part of the operation.

Captain Bob Little led Stratton, which has an endurance of 60 days and has served six cutters. The vessel will take part in joint exercises that would include operations focusing on firefighting, offloading, anti-piracy, search and rescue operations.

The visit provides an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and interaction on threats to maritime environment like oil spills, and maritime security, including trafficking of people, drugs, firearms and illegal fishing, according to a statement from the Indian Coast Guard.