Tuticorin, May 21 (IANS) Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS Vaibhav, the third in the series of 90-meter-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) was commissioned Tuesday at Tuticorin by Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal, the director general of the force.
According to an official release, the vessel has been designed and built indigenously and is fitted with the state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment and sensors.
The features of ship include an Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS), Power Management System (PMS), High Power External Fire Fighting System (ABS Fi-Fi Class-1) and one indigenous Close-Range Naval Gun (CRN-91) alongwith an optical fire control system.
The ship is designed to carry one helicopter and five high-speed boats for search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrols.
The release said the ship is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to combat oil spills at sea.
“The ship is fitted with advanced Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) making it an apt platform to carryout search and rescue operations in Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR),” it said.
The ship draws 1,940 tons and is propelled by two diesel engines to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots.
“At economical speed, it has an endurance of 4,500 nautical miles and can stay at sea for 15 days without any replenishment. The sustenance and reach, coupled with the latest and modern equipment and systems, provide it with the capability to perform the role of a command platform and accomplish all Coast Guard charter of duties,” the release said.
The ship will be extensively deployed for the surveillance of the exclusive economic zone and such other duties as enlisted in the Coast Guard charter.
The vessel will also be used in the eastern region, more so, in the sensitive Gulf of Mannar and up to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Sri Lanka to safeguard India’s maritime interests.
ICGS Vaibhav will be manned by 10 officers and 84 men under the command of Deputy Inspector General Sanjiv Trikha and will be based at Tuticorin under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
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