- Overview: Bolstering India’s maritime perimeter, the Indian Coast Guard has officially commissioned the ICGS Samudragupt, an ultra-modern Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), explicitly tasked with securing the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
- Key Points:
- Deep-Sea Policing: Built domestically by Goa Shipyard Limited, the vessel is designed for extended, deep-sea patrols to counter illegal fishing, narcotics smuggling, and piracy emanating from the Malacca Strait.
- Aviation Capable: The ship features an extended helipad capable of hosting the twin-engine ALH Mk-III helicopter, expanding its radar and rescue horizon by hundreds of nautical miles.
- Pollution Response: In a nod to ecological security, the vessel is equipped with advanced containment booms and dispersant spray systems to immediately neutralize oil spills in the sensitive coral habitats of the Bay of Bengal.
- Chokepoint Dominance: Its permanent stationing at Port Blair signals India’s uncompromising stance on maintaining absolute sovereignty over the eastern maritime chokepoints.
- Q3. The ‘Ten Degree Channel’, a vital navigational route constantly monitored by the Indian Coast Guard, separates:
- The Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands
- India and Sri Lanka
- The Lakshadweep Islands and the Maldives
- South Andaman and Little Andaman
