India's Coast Guard to induct 250 ships, 100 aircraft

Indian Coast Guard will induct 250 ships and 100 aircraft over the next five years, a top official said on Thursday. Talking to reporters in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state, Commander of the Coast Guard Region(East), Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma said that the orders for 150 ships have already been placed. Stating that Coast Guard was in the forefront in safeguarding the maritime interests of the country, he said the new ships would boost its capability in the eastern region, PTI news agency reported. Indian Coast Guard has currently 60 ships and 49 aircraft. Inspector General Sharma also informed that six new coast guard stations, one each in Kolkata and Odisha, two each in Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry would be established soon. Meanwhile, three of its ships, Vikram, Chandbibi and Ramadevi were decommissioned with full military honours on Thursday.