'ICG will include RPA-UAV to enhance maritime surveillance capabilities', said DG Sivamani

The Indian Coast Guard is soon going to add Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in order to further enhance its capability in maritime surveillance. This has been communicated by Coast Guard Director General Parmesh Sivamani in the podcast put out by the Ministry of Defense. He said that the second phase of the Coastal Surveillance Network Project will begin by the end of this year. Currently, 46 radar stations are operational in the first phase, and 38 radar stations will be included in the second phase.

With only two ships that had been purchased from the Navy in 1978, the Coast Guard now has 205 ships and boats and 78 aircraft (fixed-wing and helicopter). Aside from these, 14 hovercrafts are likewise used, which serve for surveillance of shallow water and creek regions.

Two recent incidents in Indian waters were mentioned by Sivamani, namely the fire onboard the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV Wan Hai 503 in June and the sinking of the Liberian box ship MSC ELSA 3 off the coast of Kochi in May. In both these cases, the Coast Guard carried out rapid relief and rescue operations and tried to prevent damage to the marine environment. Recently, indigenous ships like ICGS 'Atal' (fast patrol vessel) and 'Samudra Prachet' (pollution control vessel) have been launched, which will further strengthen security and pollution control in Indian waters.

On being asked about Operation Sindoor, Sivamani said that the Coast Guard has many stations and headquarters along the coast, which provide fuel, rations, and other necessary materials to the ships immediately so that they can return to patrol quickly. He also said that the 'Digital Coast Guard Project' will enhance the digital capacity and networking of the force so that it can deal with the changing security scenario in the Indian Ocean region.