In the wake of the reactivation of the terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot and a recent communication from Punjab Chief Minister to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about drones being used by Pakistan to deliver weapons into India, the Indian security forces were fully prepared, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters in Chennai on Wednesday.
Mr. Singh commissioned ICGS Varaha, offshore patrol vessel of the Coast Guard. Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar, Director General of the Coast Guard Krishnaswamy Natarajan were present.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Singh called upon all those involved in coastal security to proactively interact and engage towards achieving the common goal of national security.
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“The Indian Coast Guard has entered into a memorandum of understanding with seven maritime nations for capacity-building, training, collective and cooperative response to deal with maritime threats,” he said.
Mr. Singh lauded the Coast Guard’s service to the nation, saying: “The efforts during Kerala floods in July 2018 and the recent floods in Maharashtra and Karnataka and simultaneously tackling and other maritime contingencies at sea is a testimony to the diversity of roles being played by the Coast Guard on land and over sea.”
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Mr. Natarajan said more than 50 vessels and 16 aircraft were being made for induction into the Coast Guard, which was bigger than many navies in the world.
The 98-metre-long ICGS Varaha, designed and constructed by Larsen & Toubro, is designed to carry one twin-engine light helicopter and stage through of twin-engine heavy helicopters. It is the 50th ship made by Larsen & Toubro for the Coast Guard, according to Vice Admiral B. Kannan (retd.), Managing Director of Larsen & Toubro Ship Building.