KOLKATA: The Indian Coast Guard, on Thursday, commissioned an interceptor boat (IB) for close-coast patrolling along Odisha and West Bengal. The IB was commissioned at Paradip. Among those present were Odisha chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mahapatra, Inspector General K C Pande, commander, Coast Guard Region (North East) and other civil and military dignitaries. It was Mahapatra who commissioned the craft.
The ship is commanded by deputy commandant Tarun Dutt Pandey and has a crew of one officer and 11 enrolled personnel. IB C-426 will be based at Paradip under the administrative and operational control of the commander of the North East region based in Kolkata.
The 28-meter long vessel displaces 90 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots, with an endurance of 500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 25 knots. Equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment and medium range armament, it makes an ideal platform for undertaking high-speed interception, close-coast patrol, low intensity maritime operations, search and rescue, medical evacuation and maritime surveillance.
"With intelligence reports suggesting the possibility of a 9/11 like strike along India's eastern coast, security in the northern Bay of Bengal region has been intensified. This is a very busy shipping route and there is a lot of traffic between India and Bangladesh. Several agencies like the Navy and IB are keeping watch on movement in this region. The new IB will help in better surveillance," an officer said.