Navy's fast attack craft to shore up coastal security

Citizen-Navy reconnect aboard INS Jalashwa cruise

A spectacular two-hour display of a variety of operations undertaken by the Indian Navy led by “INS Jalashwa”, the 16 feet long ‘amphibious assault ship’ that can ferry over 1,000 troops at short notice to any coastal hot spot besides giving other logistical support, was for the Navy a unique reconnect with people of coastal cities and towns after the grave Mumbai terror strike.
While seven other Naval ships accompanied her, the message to the coastal habitations is “we are vigilant round the clock any day,” Rear Admiral P Murugesan, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, told accompanying media persons.
With India ’s coastal security under increased threat, “this demonstration is to give citizens the confidence that we very seriously address coastal security issues”, Murugesan said. After the Mumbai attack, the Indian Navy was made the ‘coordinating agency’ for coastal security and has been getting very good cooperation from Coast Guard and other State agencies, he said.

Already, seven “Fast Attack Craft (FAC)” had been commissioned, of which four had been positioned in Chennai, considering it was a strategic gateway for the country’s external trade also, Murugesan said. These four new vessels also took part in Sunday’s mid-sea operations to enthrall the huge crowd.

Unveiling ambitious plans for the Navy to beef up India ’s coastal security, Rear Admiral Murugesan said that six new FACs had also been commissioned in the last one year. They can each move at 70 km per hour speed and will be part of the ‘Coastal Security Quick Response Force’ to combat any threat based on intelligence inputs they might get, he explained.

Disclosing that the Navy’s Eastern Fleet will go in for ten more FACs of that kind, Murugesan said induction of 50 to 60 small and medium fast craft were also in the pipeline. The latter will be positioned all along the Eastern coast from Rameshwaram upto Haldia and Calcutta, he said, adding, similar deployments would also be made along the West coast to curb infiltration.

Sea trials for N-sub
On the status of India’s first nuclear-power driven submarine, “INS Arihant”, dedicated to the Navy months back by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at Vishakapatnam, the Naval commander using metaphors said, “she (Nuke Submarine) is making progress to complete her outfit,” a euphemism for the small nuclear-pack in it to get started. It will be followed by “sea trials very soon”, he added.
DH News Service