India sends patrol ship to help fight piracy
21.11.2009
In view of the continuing piracy in the region, India is to deploy one of its naval ships to patrol Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone from today until December 9.
On this mission, the INS Savitri will be carrying an armed helicopter and a group of marine commandos for possible action against pirates, the Indian High Commission said in a press release yesterday.
Built at the Hindustan Shipyard, Visakhapatnam, the Savitri has a range of over 7,000 nautical miles and is equipped with the latest radar system. It also carries a Bofors anti-aircraft gun and a heavy machine-gun.
As a versatile platform, it is equipped to undertake torpedo recovery, launch and recovery of aerial and surface targets, replenishment of minor war vessels at sea and various other support roles, including aid during natural disasters.
The Savitri is the first offshore patrol vessel to be built in India and normally carries out extended patrols of the country’s long eastern coastline.
The ship will call in Port Victoria on Monday November 23, and its officers will be briefed by a commanding officer of the Seychelles Coast Guard before it starts its patrols. The Savitri will be operating in close collaboration with the coast guard.