Indian coast guard gets patrol vessel 'Veera' for anti-smuggling operations

Indian Coast Guard ship "Veera", the third in the series of new generation offshore patrol Vessels (OPVs) acquired by the Indian Coast Guard, arrived at its base port hereThursday. 'Veera', which means brave, is commanded by Commandant GD Raturi and has a complement of 12 officers and 91 men, a Coast Guard release said.

After commissioning, expected in mid-April, the OPV would be deployed for coastal and offshore patrolling, policing maritime zones of the country, control and surveillance, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy operations with limited wartime roles. On arrival in Vizag, a ceremonial reception was extended to the ship, the release said.

The vessel equipped with ultra-modern navigation and communication systems is the third in the series of the seven ships being built indigenously by the Larsen and Toubro Shipbuilding under a contract it had signed with the Defence Ministry in March 2015. The 97m long, 15m wide ship can attain a sustained speed of up to 26 knots.

The OPV is built with an Integrated Platform Management System to enable special control capabilities generally integrated into larger warships like frigates and destroyers, the coast guard said. The vessel, fitted with front propulsion pods for providing an ability of high manoeuvrability, is capable of operation in maritime zones of India, including island territories, and equipped to handle helicopter operations.

Presently, Indian Coast Guard fleet in Andhra Pradesh has 14 ships/boats. With the commissioning of Veera, scheduled for mid-April, it will emerge as a stronger and potent force to address the emerging security challenges along the Eastern Coast of the country, the release said. The ship on joining Coast Guard Fleet.

(With inputs from agencies.)