The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Coast Guard may acquire more fast patrol vessels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Coast Guard may acquire more fast patrol vessels

By Our Special Correspondent

Coast Guard Director-General Sureesh Mehta, (left) arriving to address the media at the Coast Guard Air Station, St. Thomas Mount, in Chennai on Saturday. — Photo: T. A. Hafeez

CHENNAI, MAY 29. Coast Guard's response capabilities will get a significant boost with the induction of smaller and quicker patrol vessels. This is in line with the new thinking in Coast Guard on augmentation of coastal security

"We have homed in on a particular type of craft called the fast patrol vessel which we are going to order in very large numbers. Last year we ordered five. This year we hope to order 10 of them," said the Director-General, Sureesh Mehta, at the Coast Guard Air Station here.

This 45-metre craft, which can travel at very high speeds - 45 knots - will be the ``backbone of Coast Guard. It has the latest technology and all equipment that we need for the role,'' said Vice-Admiral Mehta, who flew a Dornier to Chennai from Tuticorin, moments before the beginning of a press meet.

A naval fighter pilot, he underwent a pilots' conversion course at the Tambaram Indian Air Force base recently.

The decision to shift the emphasis to the fast patrol craft also fits in with the Home Ministry project to "cover" the entire coastline to "ensure fool-proof security." This is now under way. "Plans are afoot to place a very large number of stations all along the coast which will be manned by the police. Tamil Nadu already had a coastal police wing. Many other States do not have any. All maritime States would be required to set up a costal police network. Coast Guard would be the outer ring," said Admiral Mehta. It would set up more stations to strengthen surveillance.

The State governments were responsible for security up to 12 nautical miles from the coast. "Beyond the territorial waters it is our jurisdiction," he said.

Of Rs. 7,000 crores allocated to Coast Guard for the current plan period, it received sanction to buy ships for about Rs. 2,000 crores. "We have a large shopping list. We are in the process of buying very specialised...pollution control vessels. These are made in India... We ordered one Offshore Patrol Vessel last year. We will be ordering three more OPVs."

Strengthening air arm

The air arm would also be strengthened. "We have a very large fleet of Dornier aircraft. To look deeper into the sea we are looking at the Medium Range Surveillance Aircraft. The acquisition process has been on for some time. But we have not made much headway. This year we expect to put some money into that project."

Asked about the possibility of Coast Guard considering `Saras,' new aircraft tested in Bangalore, he said it was too premature to say anything. "I have been associated with it earlier. It is as small or as large an aircraft as the Dornier... Therefore it may not fit the bill." The force has 24 Dorniers and it is acquiring two or three each year. "We are about to place some more orders now. The Dornier line (at HAL) is open still," said Admiral Mehta.

Offshore security

Yesterday he chaired an offshore security coordination committee meeting here to review the security set-up of installations engaged in oil exploration/production. The meeting, coordinated by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, was attended by the three regional commanders of Coast Guard and members of the oil industry.

The plan for strengthening security for transhipment of goods from shore to offshore installations and implementation of a vessel movement monitoring system came up for discussion.

In the last six months, 32 boats were seized and 117 crewmembers apprehended for poaching in Indian waters. Eight Indian boats and 197 of their crewmembers were repatriated from Sri Lanka. Refugee movement had shown a considerable decline in the last six months, he said.

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