Set for October 5-6 off Chennai’s coast in Tamil Nadu, the exercise seeks to assess and strengthen India’s response capability to marine oil spill incidents and efficiency in inter-agency coordination.
India has started building its first indigenous hovercraft for the Coast Guard at a Goa shipyard. The project supports coastal security and highlights the push for self-reliant defence under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
India launched its sixth Fast Patrol Vessel named ‘Atal’ in Goa, built by Goa Shipyard. This new ship will help the Coast Guard protect the seas and handle emergencies better.
A Liberian-flagged container ship sank off the Kerala coast near Kochi, carrying hazardous cargo. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard rescued all 24 crew members and launched an oil spill response.
On spotting the Coast Guard ship, smugglers aboard a suspect boat dumped the consignment into the sea and fled across the IMBL.
Indian State Secretary Sanjay Seth highlighted the ICG’s significant role in enhancing coastal security and maintaining rule-based order at sea, particularly in the Offshore Development Area.
Sanjay Seth, the Minister of State for Defence, visited the Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters in Kolkata, overseeing operations along West Bengal and Odisha’s coasts. He met with top officers, discussed security plans, and sought strategic partnerships with India.
These state-of-the-art devices promise secure, high-speed communication, significantly boosting the Coast Guard’s operational effectiveness and aiding joint operations with the Indian Navy.
This initiative marked the second such exercise this year, emphasizing the enhancement of maritime and coastal security measures and evaluating existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The ICG’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) took off at around 11 PM for the medical evacuation mission. However, during the operation, the helicopter encountered severe difficulties and was forced to make an emergency landing in the sea.
