INDIAN Coast Guard Ship Samar was decommissioned with full honours during a traditional armed force ceremony held at Kochi, an official statement said. The ship was commissioned on Feb 14, 1996, in Goa by the then Prime Minister of PV Narasimha Rao and was based at Mumbai under the operational command of Commander Coast Guard Region (West), according to the statement.

 

Further, Ship was rebased at Kochi in 2009. Samar, meaning battle, is a projection of the Indian Coast Guard’s will and commitment “to strive and protect” the maritime interests of the nation, the release added. Built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd, the ship boasts of the unique distinction of being the first in numerous aspects, the foremost being the indigenously constructed vessel of The Indian Coast Guard with a gross displacement of more than 1800 gross tonnage, a triumph for the Indian shipbuilding industry, as per the release.

 

“This was also at a nascent stage of indicating India’s industrial might and Atmanirbharta, which has grown in leaps and bounds in the recent past to enviable heights with vast reach and vibrant diversity,” it added. Samar is 102 meters long and is propelled by 6200 KW twin diesel engines to a maximum speed of 21 knots. During the illustrious lifespan, the ship remained underway for around 54000 hours at sea, covering more than 5,68,700 miles.