Indian Coast Guard Ships - Types And List of Current Vessels, Its Role And More

Indian Coast Guard Ships comprises various ranges of ships that are utilized for maritime safety. India’s territorial waters, comprising its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone, are under the jurisdiction of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), maritime law enforcement and search and rescue organization. The Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 1 February 1977.

Indian Coast Guard Ships is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Science and Technology subject in the General Studies Paper-3 syllabus and current events of national importance in UPSC prelims.

In this article on Indian Coast Guard Ships, we are going to discuss the list of Indian Coast Guard Ships and their significant roles.

The UPSC aspirants can also take the help of Testbook’s UPSC Free Coaching to boost their UPSC Exam preparation! You can also study other major topics related to UPSC IAS Exams with Testbook!

Know more about Coastal Erosion!

The Indian Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard is a multi-mission agency that carries out year-round practical maritime operations. Despite being a small organization, it provides a broad range of task capabilities for both surface and air operations. Indian Coast Guard is a maritime armed force that operates under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

History

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was formally established on February 1, 1977. It had two frigates and five patrol boats transferred from the Indian Navy then. 
• The ICG's first ship was the ICGS Kuthar (Pennant No. 31), which was commissioned on February 1, 1977.
• The ICG has grown rapidly since its inception, and it now has a fleet of over 150 ships and aircraft. The ICG's fleet includes a variety of vessels. This includes offshore patrol vessels, inshore patrol vessels, fast interceptor boats, and aircraft.
• The ICG's ships are deployed all along the Indian coast and in the country's exclusive economic zone. The ICG's ships perform a variety of tasks, including:
  • maritime surveillance, 
  • search and rescue, 
  • law enforcement, and 
  • environmental protection.
• The ICG's ships have played a vital role in protecting India's maritime interests.
  • For example, in 2013, the ICG ship ICGS C-155 rescued over 100 people from a sinking ship off the coast of Mumbai. 
  • In 2018, the ICG ship ICGS Samarth apprehended a Pakistani fishing vessel. It was illegally fishing in Indian waters.
• The ICG's ships are also used for humanitarian help and disaster relief operations. 
  • For example, in 2019, the ICG ship ICGS Samudra Prahari provided relief to the people of Kerala after the state was devastated by floods.

Also, check out the article on INS Vikrant- The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier with this link!

List of Indian Coast Guard Ships

ICGS has different types of vessels for Pollution control, Offshore patrol, fast patrol, patrol boats, etc. Below is the list of different vessels:

Current Indian Coast Guard Ships

Indian Coast Guard Ship, or “ICGS,” is the prefix used to identify vessels that belong to the Indian Coast Guard. As of 2022, the Indian Coast Guard currently includes 158 ships and 70 aircraft.

Pollution control vessels

Offshore patrol vessels

Fast Patrol vessels

Patrol boats

Patrol craft

Hovercraft

Future Indian Coast Guard Ships

Training vessels in the Indian Coast Guard

Also, check out the article on the United Nations Convention On The Law of The Sea (UNCLOS) with this link!

Role of Indian Coast Guard

The Sanskrit phrase “Vayam Rakshamah,” which means “We Protect,” serves as the slogan of the Indian Coast Guard.

Indian Coast Guard missions include:

• Protection of offshore terminals, artificial islands, and other installations.
• Protection and support for mariners and fishermen at sea.
• Marine environment preservation and protection, including marine pollution control.
• Assistance to the Department of Customs and other authorities in anti-smuggling activities.
• Both domestic and international waters are subject to law enforcement.
• Gathering and sustaining scientific data.
• National defense during conflicts (under the operational control of the Indian Navy) (under the operational control of the Indian Navy).

Also, check out the article on INS Vagir for UPSC Preparation!

National Coast Guard Day

India’s National Coastal Guard day is celebrated on 1st February every year. On 1 February 1977, the interim Indian Coast guard was set up to stop the seaborne smuggling of products that was undermining India’s internal economy. On February 1, 2022, ICG celebrated its 46th Raising Day.

Study in detail about the National Fisheries Policy with this link!

Conclusion

The Indian Coast Guard is a multi-mission organization that is engaged in year-round practical marine operations. ICG closely collaborates with the Indian Navy to maintain the security and protection of artificial islands, fishermen, and seafarers. The inventory of the Indian Coast Guard currently includes 158 ships and 70 aircraft. ICG had seven surface platforms in 1978. According to the Press Information Bureau, the goal is to have 200 surface platforms and 80 aircraft by 2025. The Coast Guard works in close cooperation with the Central Police Forces, the State Police Services, the Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries, and the Department of Revenue (Customs).

Download the PDF on Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGS) notes for the UPSC Exam here.

We hope that all your doubts regarding Indian Coast Guard Ships will be cleared after going through this article. Testbook provides a set of comprehensive notes for different competitive exams. Testbook is always on the top of the list because of its best quality assured products like live tests, mocks, Content pages, GK and current affairs videos, and much more. To study more topics for UPSC, download the Testbook App now.