The Indian Coast Guard station here would soon get a new patrol vessel and two high-speed boats, strengthening its fleet.
Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Abhiraj was expected to join the fleet by the middle of next month while the boats would arrive later, IG Coast Guard (Eastern region) Satya Prakash Sharma told reporters here last evening.
He was speaking on the sidelines of decommissioning of two patrol ships, including ICGS Nayaki Devi of the local station, after 24 years of service.
After the decommissioning, the Tuticorin station fleet comprises one patrol ship Ahayla Bai and three boats. Abhiraj would replace Nayaki Devi, he added.
The other decommissioned ship was ICGS Akka Devi attached to the Andaman coast guard station.
The Coast Guard ensign and the national flags were brought down from the mast of the two ships.
Sharma presided over a special function held at the port premises here which was also attended by station Commandant Anand Kumar and Port Chairman Ananda Chandrabose.
Sharma accepted a guard of honour by coast guard personnel near the vessels, which were illuminated with colourful lights for the event.
He said 107 vessels meant for coast guard were under construction at ship building yards
ICGS Abhiraj, built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, is the fourth in a series of 20 FPVs contracted by CSL for the Coast Guard. The 50 metre x 7.6 metre x 4.65 metre vessels have a designed speed of 33 knots.
The primary role of the vessel include fisheries protection and monitoring, patrol within exclusive economic zone and coastal patrol, anti-smuggling, search and rescue operations and for anti-piracy operations, according to CSL.
