Indian Coast Guard ship Sujay on deployment to East Asia

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Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ICGS Sujay with an on-board helicopter made a port call at Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of its ongoing overseas deployment to East Asia. This marks a pivotal milestone in diplomatic maritime engagement.

During the ongoing visit, the crew of ICGS Sujay will engage in professional interactions focusing on Marine Pollution Response (MPR), Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR) and Maritime Law Enforcement.

Following the Indonesia visit, the vessel will set sail for South Korea. 

The professional interactions are being carried out with BAKAMLA (Indonesia Coast Guard). Their activities include cross-deck training, joint yoga sessions, friendly sports events and Passage Sea Exercise (PASSEX) with the BAKAMLA.

The visit aims not only to strengthen ties between the Indian Coast Guard and their Indonesian counterparts but also to showcase India’s shipbuilding capabilities, supporting the concept of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India).

Additionally, the 10 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets aboard ICGS Sujay will participate in an Environment Protection Walkathon to create awareness about marine plastic pollution in collaboration. This will be done with local youth organisations, contributing to the Indian government’s “Puneet Sagar Abhiyan” initiative.

In a maiden initiative, two women ICG officers embarked onboard for the Overseas Deployment will also be representing “Women in Maritime Security and Safety” while interacting and participating in bilateral cooperative engagements.

In July 2020, the Indian Coast Guard signed a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Coast Guard towards enhanced maritime cooperation and institutionalised its cooperative engagements.

The overseas deployment is in line with the Indian Coast Guard’s commitment to fostering bilateral relationships under the ambit of MoU and holds significance in reinforcing bilateral relationships with key maritime agencies, crucial for ensuring the safety, security, and environmental sustainability of the seas in the region, while addressing contemporary maritime challenges.

ICGS Sujay’s deployment to East Asia reflects India’s commitment to fostering warm relations with Indo-Pacific countries, promoting friendly relations through maritime cooperation, aligned with India’s maritime vision encapsulated in SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and its policy “Look East and Act East” and Indo Pacific Ocean Initiatives (IPOI).

Based on the east coast of India in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, ICGS Sujay operates under the operational command of Commander Coast Guard Region (East). The vessel is equipped with modern weapon systems, advanced sensors, and state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems, including an integral helicopter.

Offshore patrol vessel Sujay has successfully undertaken various coast guard operations, including coastal security, IMBL/EEZ surveillance, counter-transnational crimes, and Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) and pollution response operations.