Rani Rashmoni, the last of the five fast patrol vessels (FPV) of Indian Coast Guard constructed at Hindusthan Shipyard Ltd (HSL), was inducted into the Indian Coast Guard here on Monday.
On the occasion, Additional Director-General of Coast Guard VSR Murthy said, "FPVs are the workhorses of the ICG."
Earlier, four such ships - ICGS Rani Abbakka, ICGS Rani Avanti Bai, ICGS Rani Durgavati and ICGS Rani Gaidinliu - had been commissioned and “they are in active service at various locations on the eastern seaboard. Rani Rashmoni is the last in the series of five FPVs’’.
FPVs are equipped with advanced sensors and latest equipment and are designed to perform multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, anti-smuggling and anti-poaching operations.
The 51-metre ship is propelled by three MTU 4,000 series diesel engines of 2,720 capacity each, coupled with Rolls Royce Kamewa jets. The patrol vessel is fitted with an advanced global maritime distress and safety system to carry out search and rescue operations, according to Additional DG K.R. Nautiyal.
Other features include integrated bridge system, machinery control system, infra-red communication system and the armament includes one CRN 91 naval gun along with its fire control system.
Complementing Hindustan Shipyard, VSR Murthy said the shipyard had done a remarkable job in overall weight reduction and achieving a contractual speed of 34 knots. ICGS Rani Rashmoni, with a crew of four officers and 34 men, will be based in Visakhapatnam.