ICG’s capacity gets a boost
S Vishnu Sharmaa, INN/Chennai, @infodeaofficialIt was a moment to cherish for the Indian Coast Guard on 26 April as its capacity got a fillip. Indian Coast Guard Ship Priyadarshini (ICGS Priyadarshini) was commissioned in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh on that occasion only takes the capacity of the force that guards our marine territories to next level.
ICGS Priyadarshini joined Indian Coast Guard in the presence of Inspector General S Paramesh, Commander Coast Guard Region (East). Additional director general K R Nautiyal, Coast Guard Commander, Eastern Seaboard commissioned the ship.
ICGS Priyadarshini is the first ship amongst the five in the series being built indigenously by GRSE. It is capable of achieving a maximum speed of 34 knots with an overall length of 50 meters and a displacement of 308 tons.
She is propelled with three diesel engines coupled with water jets. Which gives her the capability to do shallow water operations. At the economical speed, the ship has an endurance of 1500 nautical miles. The ship is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as fisheries protection and monitoring, anti-smuggling, surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, medical evacuation and coordinated sea-air search.
The firepower of the ship is provided by her main armament, namely 40/60 Bofors gun and two SRCG guns. The ship has a state-of-the-art communication and navigational equipment which gives her sustenance and reach to perform her role.
The ship is commanded by Commandant (JG) Mahavir Singh and has a complement of six Officers and 28 enrolled personnel. The ship is based at Kakinada from where she will be deployed for undertaking operational commitments as enshrined in the Coast Guard charter and will be under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
The ship is expected to add to the capacity of the Indian Coast Guard which will in turn further strengthen the coastal security mechanism and will be helpful for taking up search and rescue operations by Coast Guard unit at Kakinada.
