Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday commissioned Samudra Pratap, the Indian Coast Guard’s first indigenously designed pollution control vessel and the largest ship in the force’s fleet, the defence ministry said.
Built by state-run Goa Shipyard Ltd, the ship is the first of two pollution control vessels being constructed for the Coast Guard and has more than 60% indigenous content, the ministry said.
The vessel is intended to strengthen India‘s capacity to respond to marine pollution incidents and support maritime safety operations including firefighting, search and rescue and extended surveillance across India’s maritime zones, according to the statement.
Singh said the ship was designed primarily for pollution control but would also support coastal patrol and maritime safety because multiple capabilities had been integrated into a single platform.
He also described the ship as an example of India’s defence industrial capability and said efforts were underway to raise the indigenous content in ships further, the statement said.
Samudra Pratap is equipped with pollution detection systems, pollution response boats and firefighting equipment, the ministry said. It also has a helicopter hangar and aviation support facilities designed to extend its operating range.
The ministry said the Coast Guard has been carrying out oil spill response, firefighting and salvage operations and that the addition of the vessel would improve its ability to control pollution incidents and limit environmental damage.
Singh said protecting the marine environment was both a strategic necessity and a responsibility as climate change and global warming add to pressures on oceans and coastal communities, the statement added.
The ship’s commissioning also marked the first time women officers have been appointed to a frontline Coast Guard ship, the ministry said, adding that two women officers will serve on Samudra Pratap.
Singh said the Coast Guard should evolve from a platform-centric force to one that is intelligence-driven and integration-centric, and called for specialised career streams in areas including maritime law enforcement, environmental protection and maritime cybersecurity, according to the statement.
The ministry said the vessel will be based in Kochi and operated under the Coast Guard’s western regional command through its district headquarters in Kerala and Mahe.
Samudra Pratap has a displacement of 4,170 tonnes, a length of 114.5 metres and a top speed of more than 22 knots, the ministry said. It has an endurance of 6,000 nautical miles and is powered by two 7,500 kW diesel engines.
The ship is fitted with pollution response equipment including side-sweeping arms, floating booms, high-capacity skimmers, portable barges and a pollution control laboratory, the statement said. It also has an external firefighting system and automated and integrated bridge and platform management systems.
Its armament includes a 30 mm gun and two 12.7 mm remote-controlled guns supported by fire-control systems, the ministry added.
