Rajnath Singh commissions Coast Guard Ship Vigraha in Chennai

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday commissioned the state of the art Indian Coast Guard Ship Vigraha in Chennai Harbour. Speaking on this occasion, the Minister said that the commissioning of the ship showcases significant improvement in coastal defence capability as also the ever increasing self-reliance in the defence sector.  The Minister appreciated the Coast Guard for not only protecting the fishing community but also for the assistance of the department of customs and other authorities in protecting the islands and terminals. Singh said, "The journey of growth of our Indian Coast Guard, which began with a modest 5-7 small boats, has today grown to over 20,000 active personnel, over 150 vessels, and a fleet of over 65 aircrafts."  Singh said he had a firm belief that 'Vigraha' would become a "successful watchdog of the coastal borders of our country". He remembered the involvement of the Coast Guard in the fire accident on the tanker New Diamond last year and the Cargo Ship Express Pearl this year.

State-of-the-art @IndiaCoastGuard Ship, 'Vigraha' is being Commissioned in Chennai today. Watch https://t.co/4ykTjrhFsm

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 28, 2021

The 100-metre long indigenously designed ship has been fitted with state of the art navigation system useful for patrolling the coastal borders. Vigraha is seventh in the series of OPVs, starting from 'Vikram', 'Vijay', 'Veer', 'Varaha', 'Varad' and 'Vajra'. Vigraha will be based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.