On February 28, 2020, The Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) 98 meter long 5th Offshore Patrol Vessel called “ICGS Varad” was inducted into service by Shri. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister of State for Shipping (Independent Charge) and Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertiliser at LOT Kattupalli shipyard, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The vessel has been designed and built by the L&T (Larsen & Toubro Limited).ICGS Varad set a record in Indian shipbuilding industry by becoming the first major defence ship to clear all sea acceptance trials in a single sea sortie.
Key Points:
i.The minister Mandaviya commissioned the vessel in the presence of Coast Guard Director General K Natarajan, Chennai Port Trust chief P. Ravindran and senior government officials. Mandaviya also unveiled a plank on which the date of induction of the vessel into service was inscribed. With this ICGS Varad’s induction, the ICG will now have 147 ships and boats and 62 aircraft.
ii.Features of ICGS Varad: Based at Paradip in Odisha, under the operational control of the Coast Guard North Eastern Region, was the the 5th vessel in a series of 7 ships patrolling the open sea off the coast for which L&T managed to secure an agreement with the Ministry of Defense in March 2015. S Kannan, head of L&D Shipbuilding Ltd, said the vessel has been tested several times before being inducted into service.
Prior to this vessel, the last generation of ICGC Varad remained in service for 28 years.The vessel is equipped with 30 mm and 12.7 mm guns & has special onboard features like the Integrated Bridge System, Platform Management System, Automated Power Management System and High Power External Fire-Fighting system.
The vessel has the capability to carry four high-speed boats and a twin-engine helicopter for search and rescue operations and law enforcement and maritime patrol. It can also took up pollution response equipment in case of an oil spill at the sea.
In addition, the vessel run by two 9100kw diesel engines can reach a maximum speed of 26 knots. It can operate for almost 5000 nautical miles at a stretch without refueling.
About ICGS Varad:
It was formally commissioned on July 19, 1990 by the then Governor of Goa, Khurshid Alam Khan.
Name ‘Varad’ has been derived from a Sanskrit phrase ‘Sahayadri Varad Hast’, which means ‘granting wishes’.
The ship was identified with pennant number 40 and international call sign ‘VTMP’.
About Indian Coast Guard:
Founded– 18 August 1978
Headquarters– New Delhi
About Larsen & Toubro Limited:
Founded– 07 February 1938
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– S.N. Subrahmanyan
