Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICG) C-453, the 17th of the 18 Interceptor Boats being indigenously built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd., was commissioned in Chennai on Friday.
ICGS C-453, the 27.80-m-long interceptor boat with a displacement of 105 tonnes and a maximum speed of 45 knots (85 kmph) is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks, including surveillance, interdiction, close-coast patrol and search and rescue, in addition to providing assistance to boats and craft in distress at sea, a defence press release said.
The vessel is provided with advanced navigation and communication equipment and is commanded by Assistant Commandant Animesh Sharma. It will be based in Chennai under the operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (East).
The ship, on joining the Coast Guard Eastern fleet, would be deployed extensively for surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone and other duties as enshrined in the Coast Guard Charter to safeguard the maritime interests of India, the release said.
Leena Nandan, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, commissioned the ship in the presence of Jiwesh Nandan, Additional Secretary, Department of Defence; Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Director-General, Coast Guard; S. Paramesh, Commander, Coast Guard Region (East); Rear Admiral J.S. Mann (retd.), vice-president & head, L&T shipyard; and other officials of the Indian Coast Guard and L&T shipyard.
