ICGS ''Samarth'' is the
Indian Coast Guard's latest and largest Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV). ''Samarth'' is first in the series of six 105m offshore patrol vessels and has been built by Goa Shipyard Limited. The vessel was commissioned to coast guard service on 10 November 2015 by
Defence Minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
Manohar Parrikar. ''Samarth'' is based in
Goa is extensively used for patrolling along the Exclusive Economic Zone and other duties as it is set to be extensively used along on the Western Seaboard. The vessel will be under the command of a Deputy Inspector-General.
Service history
In 2018 ICGS ''Samarth'' and ''Shoor'', along with Indian Navy vessels, took part in an operation to seize UAE princess
Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum with controversy as to whether this was a hostage rescue or, in cooperation with the
UAE, an attempt to thwart the princess' escape from the UAE.
On 27 February 2024, ''Samarth'' and ''Abhinav'' arrived at the
Port of Galle
Galle Harbour is a natural harbour, located in Galle, on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka. Currently Galle port serves as one of the most active regional ports in the country. It is also the only Sri Lankan port that provides facilities for p ...
, situated in
Galle,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, as part of a formal visit. Following the completion of the official engagement, the coast guard vessels departed the port on 1 March 2024 and sailed to the
Port of Colombo.
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samarth
Ships of the Indian Coast Guard