The Indian Coast Guard Ship, Samar, which had the distinction of being the first indigenously constructed vessel of the Coast Guard with a gross displacement of more than 1,800 gross tonnage, was decommissioned with full honours on Saturday evening at the Coast Guard jetty at Mattancherry.
Among those who were present was the chief guest, Additional Director General of Coast Guard S. Paramesh, and former Director General Prabhakaran Paleri. A host of dignitaries from different walks of life, besides previous commanding officers and crew of the force’s vessels too witnessed the event.
The ship was commissioned in February 1996 in Goa by then Prime Minister P.V. Narashimha Rao and was based in Mumbai under the operational command of the Commander Coast Guard Region (West). It was rebased in Kochi in 2009. Samar, which means ‘battle’, is a projection of the Indian Coast Guard’s will and commitment “to strive and protect” the maritime interests of the nation, said an official release.
Built by Goa Shipyard Limited, the 102-metre-long ship’s construction was seen as a triumph for the Indian shipbuilding industry. The vessel was propelled by 6,200 kW twin diesel engines and could attain a maximum speed of 21 knots (around 40 kmph). During its lifespan, the ship traversed the sea for around 54,000 hours, covering more than 5,68,700 miles.
During the ceremony, an impressive guard was paraded and with sunset the Coast Guard ensign was hauled down onboard the ship for the last time. Soon after, ‘Paying off Pennant’, which is equal to the length of the ship, was lowered as a symbolic representation of decommissioning. ICGS Samar was first of its series, which was earlier known as Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel. As a culmination, the ship’s commanding officer and DIG R. Ramesh gave the final decommissioning report to Additional DG S. Paramesh.
Addressing the crew and guests, Mr. Paramesh highlighted the contributions made by the vessel in anti-poaching, anti-smuggling, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and joint operations and commended the ship and her crew for the yeoman service they put in during the almost three decades for the nation and to the maritime world.
The vessel helped save the life of 373 people, apprehend 28 pirates, and played its role in medical evacuation from Indian and foreign vessels at sea, participated in repatriation of Myanmarees, carried out over 18 search and rescue operations at sea and in the International Fleet Review.
