Offshore patrol vessel joins Indian Coast Guard’s Eastern Command fleet

CHENNAI - Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Vishwast’, the indigenously built OPV (offshore patrol vessel) was inducted into the Eastern Command of the Indian Coast Guard at Chennai on Wednesday.

It is the heaviest and most advanced vessel in the Eastern Command of the Coast Guard, measuring 90 metres in length and having a displacement of 2400 tonnes.

The ICGS ‘Vishwast’ is the fifth OPV and the first with advanced technology to join the Coast Guard.

It has an endurance of 17 days on high seas sans replenishment. The ship is designed to carry one helicopter a five high-speed boats.

“We felt that we want more ships over here with its problems of…Indian fishermen crossing over, Sri Lankan fishermen being coming over here. So, we definitely felt a need and it was the Coast Guard Headquarters thought that it’s more apt to give one more ship (OSV) to Chennai,” said Commander A Rajashekar, Inspector General of Eastern Command, Indian Coast Guard.

He also said there are 92 ships under construction for patrolling and allied purposes. These vessels will be inducted over the next couple of years.

The infra red surveillance system installed in ICGS ‘Vishwast’ will provide additional capability to detect targets at night that are small in size as well as for search and rescue operations on the high seas.

The ICGS ‘Vishwast’ with advanced navigational and communication sensors, was designed and built by the state-owned Goa Shipyard Limited.

Among its other notable features are an integrated bridge system, an integrated machinery control system, a high power external fire fighting system and an indigenously built gun-mount. (ANI)