Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Rajratan’, the fifth of a series of eight Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) was commissioned by Director General Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral MP Muralidharan in Kolkata on Monday, February 11. In his address during the commissioning ceremony, Vice Admiral Muralidharan dwelt upon the criticality of capacity building towards tackling emergent maritime challenges .
He reiterated the need for continuous vigil along the nation’s maritime frontiers to preserve and protect Indian maritime interests. He further stated that several far-reaching initiatives towards augmentation of manpower and force levels were underway, that would provide the requisite fillip to the Coast Guard’s capabilities.
Indigenously built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata, the 50m long IPV displaces 300 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 34 knots, with an endurance of 1500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 16 knots. Equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and advanced communication and navigational equipment, it makes an ideal platform for undertaking multifarious close-coast missions such as surveillance, interdiction, Search and Rescue, and medical evacuation.
The special features of the ship include an Integrated Bridge Management System (IBMS), Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS) and an integrated gun mount with indigenous Fire Control system (FCS). The ship is commanded by Commandant (JG) CS Joshi, and has a complement of five Officers and 30 Other Ranks. Post commissioning, ICGS Rajratan would be based at Porbandar under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (North West).
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, February 12, 2013; Image: pib