New Delhi: Indian Coast Guard ship Kanaklata Barua, the last in the series of five Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), was commissioned on Wednesday via video conferencing at Kolkata.

Indian Coast Guard Ship Kanaklata Barua, the last in the series of five Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) has been designed and built indigenously by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata, a fine example of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensor and machinery.

Additional Secretary Ministry of Defence Jiwesh Nandan commissioned the ship.

This is the second time in the annals of Indian maritime history that a Coast Guard ship has been commissioned through the digital medium, maintaining the strict protocol of social distancing in the backdrop of COVID -19 pandemic.

The 49 m ship displaces about 310 tons, propelled by three MTU 4,000 series engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 35 knots. The ship is designed to carry one Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) high-speed boats and one Gemini boat for swift boarding and Search and Rescue operations.

The ship is named in honour of Kanaklata Barua, a freedom fighter who was martyred while leading a procession carrying the Indian national flag during the 1942 Quit India movement.

ICGS Kanaklata Barua is a replacement of a similarly named vessel which was in commission from 1997 to 2018. The ship is commanded by Commandant (JG) Subhash Kapoor.

On the occasion, ICG DG K Natarajan said, "Indian Coast Guard being largest in South-Asian region deals with the dynamic situation and is vital in protecting wide-ranging multi-interest of the nation. Even amid pandemic, maritime security continues to be a challenging task."

Indian Coast Guard has been a pioneer in inducting indigenous assets.

In continuation of efforts to maximize the indigenous content in new assets, ICG is proud to state that the ship commissioned today, has about 70 per cent indigenous content, thus providing the necessary fillip to the Indian shipbuilding industry.

The ship, on joining the Coast Guard fleet, will be deployed extensively for EEZ surveillance, Coastal Security and other duties as enshrined in the Coast Guard charter of duties, to safeguard the maritime interests of the Nation.

With the commissioning of this ship, Indian Coast Guard has 151 ships and Boats and 62 aircraft. Further, 40 ships are at various stages of construction at different Indian Shipyards and 16 Advanced Light Helicopters are under production at HAL, Bengaluru, which will provide the added strength to the surveillance capabilities of ICG to deal with the ever-dynamic maritime challenges.