Indian Coast Guard plans to get 6 multi mission aircrafts

Kolkata: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is planning to have six new generation multi mission aircrafts to strengthen its aviation fleet for future operations beyond exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the country.

ICG deputy inspector general (North East Region) Anil Kumar said on Tuesday, "It is in pipeline. The Indian Air Force has signed a contract of C 295 aircrafts with the Tatas which will be built in India. We also have a stake in that. Once that starts, we will also be getting six of them in future."

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd in a joint collaboration with Airbus Defence will manufacture the C 295 aircrafts at Vadodara in Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project in October last year.

Elaborating the purpose of the particular aircrafts for the ICG, Mr Kumar, who is also an aviator, added, "These will be the ones which can reach the extremes of our search and rescue region which are vast areas and go beyond the EEZs. If you need to reach there to identify people in distress, we require aircrafts of that capability. We have got land for their operation. That will be coming once these aircrafts start rolling out."

He was speaking on board to Indian Coast Guard Ship Vijaya, a Vikram class offshore patrol vessel, in the city ahead of the 47the Raising Day of the ICG on Wednesday.

ICG commander (North East Region) Iqbal Singh Chauhan, who was present also informed that on board exercises, which cover interception and checking of the vessels and it's crew in the sea, has increased by 30% in the last one year.