India to acquire offshore patrol vessels, helicopters: Antony

Kochi, Mar 18 (UNI) India will acquire more Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and surveillance helicopters to beef up the vigilance along the coastline, which is emerging as a new frontier for terrorist infiltration, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a day-long seminar on 'Kerala-Emerging Maritime Issues and Challenges', Mr Antony said while terrorist infiltration on the Jammu and Kashmir border had come down, it was continuing through Bangladesh and Nepal.

With increased security along the land borders, terrorists were looking at the sea route to get into India and the country had to be vigilant against this emerging threat, especially as vital economic interests including oil installations, communication networks and sea trade were at stake, he said.

To step up vigilance along the coastline, the government had decided to acquire three more offshore patrol vessels and deploy more surveillance helicopters. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) would also be pressed into service to maintain vigil along the coastline, he said.

On a proposal by Sri Lanka for joint patrolling along the maritime boundary, Mr Antony said no decision had been taken on this. However, Sri Lanka had assured India that it would do its best to safeguard the interests of the country and the state of Tamil Nadu.

On the Kerala Government's request to utilise part of the million Rouble 'Rupee-Rouble Fund' to finance the proposed Vizhinjam international container transshipment terminal, Mr Antony said the Defence Ministry was open to this proposal. It was now upto the state government to make a formal proposal through the Union Shipping Ministry.

Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who was also present, said the state had approached the Prime Minister also in this regard.

Describing the proposed Vizhinjam terminal as a very important project, Mr Antony said India had agreed to the Russian proposal, made during the recent visit of President Putin, to utilise the 'Rupee-Rouble Fund' for financing infrastructural facilities in India.

''We have agreed to the Russian proposal. Once the Kerala Government makes the proposal formally for Vizhinjam, I am sure there will be no difficulty in accepting it,'' he added.

On the progress of the aircraft carrier, being constructed at the Cochin Shipyard, Mr Antony said he had been assured that the carrier would be ready on schedule by 2012.

On kickbacks in defence deals, Mr Antony said all major purchases were made through the 'Defence Acquisition Council' and under an 'Integrity Pact' formulated recently, it had been decided that anyone using undue means in defence procurements would be charged with criminal offence.

UNI