The long-pending proposal to induct hovercrafts into the Indian Coast Guard fleet in the State will turn to fruition with the arrival of a hovercraft in the city on Monday.
Out of the 18 hovercrafts procured by the Coast Guard to patrol the nation’s coastline, two will be stationed in Mangalore, said officials on the sidelines of a beach clean-up exercise at Panambur.
“While one hovercraft will come on Monday, the other may arrive within 10 days from Mumbai,” said Rajender Singh Sapal, Commandant (JG), Coast Guard, Karnataka. With the 15-acre land at Thannirbhavi yet to be developed into a heliport, the two crafts will be based out of the ICG, Karnataka’s headquarters in Panambur, he said.
“Our personnel have already obtained training from London,” said Mr. Satpal.
