200 ships, 100 aircraft by 2020 to boost surveillance power of Coast Guard

Inspector General Rajan Bargotra, Commander Coast Guard Region (East) said that the Indian Coast Guard aims to acquire 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2020, to meet the increasing threats to the country’s coast.

The ICGS C-431 and C-432 were commissioned by Lieutenant General Rajan Ravindran, Commandant, Officer’s Training Academy (OTA).  They have an endurance of 500 nautical miles (NM) at 20 knots speed. These vessels would be used for day and night coastal patrol & surveillance, SAR, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, anti-terrorist, anti-smuggling operations and fisheries protection and monitoring.  

The boats are equipped with state of the art sensors including sophisticated navigational and latest communication system.  Inspector General Rajan Bargotra, Commander Coast Guard Region (East) said that the Indian Coast Guard is hoping to expand its fleet to 200 ships and 100 aircrafts. 

“From 61 ships in 2009, we now have a fleet of 129 ships, out of which, 50 are IBs. Next year, we hope to expand to include 150 ships. Soon, there will be an induction of Shaurya, an off-shore patrol vessel in Chennai,” he said. 

Lieutenant General Rajan Ravindran said, “After 26/11, there was a need for the Coast Guard to have advanced state-ofthe-art crafts, to ensure roundthe-clock patrolling on high seas and conduct surveillance,” he said. 

The C-431, commanded by Pradip Kumar Saha, will be stationed in Chennai while the C-432, commanded by Vinay Kumar Singh, will enhance surveillance and patrolling in Karaikal.