New Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel arrives at base port

Indian Coast Guard ship "Veera", the third in the series of new generation "offshore patrol vessels" reached its base port in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. The vessel named "Veera" which means brave is built by Larsen and Toubro shipbuilding under a contract it had signed with the Defence Ministry.

Visakhapatnam: Indian Coast Guard ship "Veera", the third in the series of new generation Off shore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) acquired by the Indian Coast Guard, arrived at its base port here Thursday.

'Veera',which means brave,is commanded by Commandant GD Raturi and has a compliment 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 Ship building 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 Integrated Platform Management System to enable special control capabilities generally integrated in larger warships like frigatesand 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.

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