India's 20/20 vision: Coastguard joins the premier league

摘要

Created in interim form in February 1977 and then formally established as an armed service inAugust 1978, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commenced operations with two corvettes and five patrol craft transferred from the Indian Navy (IN), plus a cadre of navy officers and sailors on deputation. In recent years, the ICG has embarked on a growth path that will see it become one of the largest coastguard organisations in the world. "We will be tripling the size of our fleet from [late] 2008 force levels, [as well as] doubling the aircraft fleet and manpower within a decade or so," said the service's then head, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, at a press conference in January 2011.