Article Posted on : - May 22, 2013

ICGS Vaibhav. Photo: Indian Coast Guard.

CHENNAI (BNS): Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Vaibhav’ the 3rd in the series of 90 meters class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) has been commissioned at Tuticorin.

Vaibhav which means ‘grandeur’ was commissioned on Tuesday by ICG Director General, Vice Admiral Anurag G Thapliyal, a coast guard release said.

The offshore patrol vessel is an indigenously designed and built vessel with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machines.

It has features like Integrated Bridge System (IBS), high power external fire fighting system (abs fi-fi class—1) and one indigenous close range naval gun (crn-91) along with an optical fire control system, the release said.

The ship is designed to carry a helicopter and five high speed boats for search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol and was also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to combat oil spill at sea, it said.

It was also fitted with advanced global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS), making it an ‘apt platform’ to carry out search and rescue. Propelled by two diesel engines, it can attain a maximum speed of 26 knots and can stay at sea for 15 days without any replenishment.

The ship on joining coast guard fleet will be deployed extensively for the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) surveillance and such other duties as enlisted in Coast Guard charter.

The vessel will be exploited extensively in the Eastern region, more so, in the sensitive Gulf of Mannar and up to the International Maritime Boundary Line with Sri Lanka, to safeguard the maritime interests of India,” the release said.

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.