The Indian Coast Guard has inducted ICGS Kanaklata Barua, the first of the five Fast Patrol Vessels being built at the Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE).
The ship is named after Kanaklata Barua who is also called Birbala and Shaheed, an Indian independence activist who was shot dead by the British police while leading a procession bearing the National Flag during the Quit India Movement of 1942.
ICGS Kanaklata Barua is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensor and machinery. The 49 m ship has a displacement of about 310 tons. The ship is propelled by three MTU 4000 Series engines with a maximum speed of 35 knots. The ship is designed to carry one RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) high-speed boats and one Gemini boat for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations. This ship has about 70% indigenous content.
With the commissioning of this ship, Indian Coast Guard has 151 ships & Boats and 62 aircraft. Further, 40 ships are at various stages of construction at different Indian Shipyards and 16 Advanced Light Helicopters are under production at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bengaluru.