The ICGS Varaha, the fourth in the series of seven 98-m Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), was commissioned on Wednesday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The ship, which was commissioned at the Chennai port, would be based at New Mangalore under the administrative and operational control of Commander Coast Guard region (west). The ship will have on board 14 officers and 89 men, says a press release from ICG.

The ship has been designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its Katupalli ship building yard in North Chennai.

Features

It is fit with the latest navigation and communication equipment. It also has some of the most advanced sensors and machinery as well as a 33-millimetre (mm) gun. It will be fitted with 12.7 mm gun with fire control system.

The ship's special features include the integrated Bridge System, Automated Power Management System and indigenously built Integrated Platform Management System and Halo Traversing System.

It ship is also designed to carry one twin engine helicopter and four high speed boats, the release said.

Singh said that the ship will operate from the port of New Mangalore covering up to Kanyakumari. The ship will add to the ICG's strength in responding to the threats of maritime terrorism, smuggling and challenges of maritime enforcement.

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