Security of Gujarat’s Okha coast will be powered by a new interceptor boat now as the Indian Coast Guard is to get a new interceptor boat this Saturday.

According to a statement issued on Friday Defence Finance Secretary Dr. Vijayalakshmy K Gupta will commission the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) C-152 at Okha on the Gujarat coast tomorrow.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will get a new interceptor boat Saturday for deployment along Gujarat’s Okha coast to tackle 26/11-type terror threats and piracy closer to the shore and prevent illegal activities in Indian waters, a statement issued by Defense ministry said Friday.

“Defence Finance Secretary Dr. Vijayalakshmy K. Gupta will commission the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) C-152 at Okha on the Gujarat coast tomorrow in presence of ICG north-west regional commander Deputy Inspector General B.S. Yadav.

The 30-metre boat, built by Surat-based ABG Shipyard, has a displacement of 90-tonnes and has an endurance of 500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 25 knots. It can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots for responding to urgent calls at sea.

“The boat, specially designed for close-coast and shallow-water operations, will immensely help to augment the surveillance capability of the Coast Guard on the Gujarat coast,” the release said.

Commandant R. Vijay is the first commander of the boat, which will be manned by a 12-member crew.

Post-November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, ICG is undergoing a force accretion to augment its surveillance capabilities to meet its enhanced tasks and responsibilities effectively.

The present force level and manpower are planned to be doubled by graduated procurement with proportionate infrastructure development and augmentation of trained manpower.

Nine new ICG stations are planned to be established by 2012 wherein each station will have two interceptor boats to undertake search and rescue, close-coast patrol and respond to fast developing situations at sea.

More assets will be based in these stations depending upon infrastructure and availability of operational logistic support facilities, the release said.