Governor Vala to commission CG hovercraft at Panambur on November 10

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 08, 2014:  Deputy inspector general and commander, Coast Guard (Karnataka) Rajamani Sharma told media that  Karnataka governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala will commission Indian Coast Guard’s new Air Cushion Vessels (ACV) — H-196 and H-198 at the Coast Guard Complex, Panambur here on November 10.

 

 

 The Governor will commission the ACVs in the presence of Inspector General SPS Basra, commander, Coast Guard Region (West). The commissioning programme will include a presentation of guard of honour to the Governor, reading out of commissioning warrant, exchange of memento and unveiling of hovercrafts. The new  ACVs will complement the four inshore patrol vessels that Coast Guard already has here, he said.

Air Cushion Vessels: The 21 meter-long ACV with 31 tons displacement can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots. It is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and rendering assistance to small boats and crafts. The craft is capable of moving on land as well as sea. Areas inaccessible from both sea and land can be approached by hovercraft. The craft operates by skimming over the surface of the water using a cushion of air created by two propellers fitted on top of the craft.

ACV is fully armed with heavy machine guns and latest state of the art communication and navigation equipment including radar and worldwide satellite communication. In order to strengthen the coastal security along the state’s coast, the hovercraft is scheduled to be based at new Mangalore and take on serious and major illegal actions at Sea along the west coast..