VASCO
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Samudra Pratap’, the first of two Pollution Control Vessels built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), in Vasco.
With over 60% indigenous content, ICGS Samudra Pratap is India's first indigenously designed pollution control vessel and the largest ship in the ICG fleet to date. In a first, the ship will also have two women officers.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Director General, ICG DG Paramesh Sivamani, GSL Chairman & Managing Director Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, and officials of central and state governments were present on the occasion.
Singh described the vessel as an embodiment of India’s mature defence industrial ecosystem, which possesses the capability to handle complex manufacturing challenges effectively, adding that consistent efforts are being made to enhance the indigenous content in ships to 90%.
The ship is equipped with advanced pollution detection systems, dedicated pollution response boats, and modern firefighting capabilities. It also features a helicopter hangar and aviation support facilities, which can significantly increase its reach and effectiveness.
Singh expressed confidence that due to these capabilities, the vessel will be able to operate stably even in rough sea conditions, providing a huge advantage in real-life operations.
Acknowledging the ICG for rapidly moving towards an inclusive and gender-neutral work environment in line with the Government’s vision, Singh dubbed it as a matter of pride that women officers are being appointed as pilots, observers, air traffic controllers, logistics officers, and law officers, while being trained for hovercraft operations and being actively deployed in frontline ops.
Samudra Pratap, meaning Majesty of the Seas, has a displacement of 4,170 tonnes, length of 114.5 metres & speeds exceeding 22 knots. It is powered by two 7,500 kW diesel engines driving indigenously developed Controllable Pitch Propellers and gearboxes, offering superior manoeuvrability, flexibility and endurance of 6,000 nautical miles.
The vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art systems including side-sweeping arms, floating booms, high-capacity skimmers, portable barges, and a pollution control laboratory. The ship is also fitted with an External Fire-Fighting System (Fi-Fi Class 1) and integrates advanced systems such as Dynamic Positioning,
