The second in the series of offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard, ICGS Vijaya, was commissioned in Chennai on Friday, after months of extensive sea trials.
The OPV was commissioned by the Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra in the presence of the Coast Guard Director General Rajendra Singh and other senior officials of Central and State governments.
The 98-metre OPV was designed and built by Larsen & Toubro India at Kattupalli shipyard and is fitted with advanced navigation and communication equipment and sensors.
The vessel is fitted with a 30 mm gun and will be fitted with a 12.7 mm gun with a Fire Control System (FCS), a press release said. It can carry one twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats, including two inflatable boats for search and rescue and boarding operations, law enforcement and maritime patrol. It will be stationed at Paradip Port, Odisha and be deployed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for surveillance and patrols.