Coastal surveillance and security in the State got a boost as a new vessel was added to the existing fleet of three vessels of the Indian Coast Guard, based at New Mangalore Port, on Sunday.
The new vessel, ‘Amartya’, indigenously built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd., arrived from Kochi to the New Mangalore Port at 11.30 a.m. P.C. Parida, Chairman, New Mangalore Port Trust, and Deputy Inspector-General Rajmani Sharma, Commander, Indian Coast Guard, Karnataka, received the vessel.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sharma said it would be the fourth ship of the Indian Coast Guard based in Mangalore. The Karnataka coast has 16 vital installations from Karwar to Mangalore, including the Konkan railway line.
Equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and advanced communication and navigational equipment, it made an ideal platform for undertaking close-coast missions such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, and medical evacuation.
The features of the ship included an integrated bridge management system, integrated machinery control system and an integrated gun mount with automated control system.
In addition, the vessel had video-conferencing facility, two radars, closed-circuit television cameras to watch sailing ships, boats or any other activity on the shore.
“The 50-metre long inshore patrol vessel displaces 297 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 35 knots. The ship has an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 13 knots,” he said.
The Indian Coast Guard’s two hovercrafts were based in Mangalore a few days ago for coastal surveillance and security.
