Coast Guard to open new stations, says DG

Mumbai, Nov 24 (UNI) Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is all set to open four new stations at Murul, Janjiri, Dhanu and Ratnagiri respectively on the western coast to strengthen maritime patrolling, in view of the changing geo- political situations and the changing terror patterns, Vice Admiral, R F Contractor, Director General (DG) of Coast Guards today said.

Briefing reporters onboard the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) 'Samar', at the backdrop of the seventh Indo-Japan joint coast guard excercises, he said the Coast Guard will induct six maritime medium range petrol crafts, three pollution control vessels, three helicopters and five petrol vessels to strengthen its fleet as a modern force.

Sailing 20 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast, the Vice Admiral added that the role of the Coast Guard has not changed. However, the force will strenthen its ability and presence around the Indian waters through similar joint excercises for effective inter operability to face sea challenges.

He pinpointed that the Coast Guard, seized heroin worth Rs 228 crores in the last year alone. The patrolling of maritme boundaries will be tightened in the coming days also he added.

Mr Contractor said that the ICC has its own plans, which goes along with the plans laid down by the Union Government, which are in conjunction with five year plans as devised by the defence and home ministeries.

Expressing his satisfaction over the joint excercises, Japanese Coast Guard Commandant Hiroki Ishikawa said that ICG personnels displayed high levels of skill and intelligence in demonstrating and executing the drills during the excercise.

The next annual excercise with the ICG will be held in Japan.The inter-operability aspect of both the forces has to be strengthened to operate in high seas specifically to challenge sea piracy, he said. Earlier, in a major joint operational intiative, India and Japan Coast Guard Ships(JCGS) held its seventh joint excercise Sahyog-Kaijin 06' on the Western coast, 20 nautical miles (36 KM deep into the high seas).

Leading a flotilla of nine Indian Coast Guard Ships(ICGS), ICGS 'Samar' began sailing off the Mumbai harbour at 0800 hours. An hour, later 'Samar' cutting across blue waters in full speed met her counterpart 'Shikishima', the largest Japanese Coast Guard ship ever to sail into Indian waters.

The ICG flotilla began the excercise with a 'Pollution Response Demonstration' followed by high speed manoeuvre by hovercrafts and a life raft drop. In response, Japanese Coast Guards along with ICG demonstrated 'Winching' on a merchant ship.

Other drills such as search-and-rescue missions, 30 MM firing, fire fighting, splash target firing were also executed by the CGS of the two countries.

The joint excercise culiniated with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the JCG and ICG for future maritime cooperation and security in the region.

ICGS Sangram, Vijaya, Amrit Kaur, Durgabai Deshmukh, Kamladevi, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Savitribai Phule, H-185, C-142, ICG Helo and Dornier participated in the excercise. While, Coast Guard ship Shikishima and Helo represented Japan in the excercise.

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