The Indian Coast Guard is the principal agency for enforcement of provisions of all national enactment in force in the Maritime Zones of India (MZI) and provides following services to the nation and marine community.

• Ensuring safety and protection of the artificial islands, offshore installations and other structures in India’s maritime zones.
• Providing protection to fishermen and assistance to them at sea while in distress.
• Preservation and protection of maritime environment including prevention and control of maritime pollution.
• Assistance to the Department of Customs and other authorities in antismuggling operations.
• Enforcement of MZI Acts.
• Initiating measures for the safety of life and property at sea.

The need for a full fledged Air Wing for Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was felt right from the time of its inception. The first ICG aviation unit to be commissioned was 800 SQN on May 22, 1982, with two Chetak helicopters at Goa.

The first fixed wing squadron of Indian Coast Guard was commissioned with two Fokker Friendship (F-27) aircraft on July 30, 1983. These aircraft were taken on dry lease from Indian Airlines. These aircraft did a yeomen service to ICG through their tireless operations from Dum Dum Airport in maritime surveillance and search and rescue roles covering the entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The first planned induction included 12 fixed wing aircraft for coastal surveillance and six single engine helicopters to support ships at sea. The first Dornier squadron was commissioned as 750 Squadron (ICG) at Daman in January 1987.

The first full-fledged Air Station was commissioned at Daman on October 29, 1987. Since then the following air squadrons/flights have been inducted into the service and are located as shown in the box.

The primary role of these squadrons include search and rescue and embarkation on board helicopter operating ships to undertake the following missions:

1. Logistics and operational cover for the Indian Coast Guard ships at sea.
2. Pollution response.
3. Casualty evacuation.
4. VIP commitments.
5. Reconnaissance and shadow.
6. Security patrol of offshore installations/oil rigs.

Modernisation of ICG - Aviation

The present force levels of ICG comprise 44 ships, six hovercraft, 24 interceptor boats, 28 Dornier coastal surveillance aircraft, four twin-engine Dhruv advanced light helicopters and 20 Chetak single-engine helicopters. As per its assessed requirement in 2007-08, ICG had projected a requirement of 154 ships and 93 boats.

Since the formation of Aviation Wing in May 1982 and nearly two decades later, in a comprehensive Long Term Perspective Plan 2002-12, the Coast Guard envisioned its aviation assets to be enhanced to 99 aircraft. Post Mumbai 26/11 and in a major revamp of the country’s coastal surveillance and security apparatus, the Coast Guard had projected a force-level of 268 vessels, including 173 small patrol craft, 113 aircraft, 18 Nishant unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and aerostat and over the horizon (OTH) radars by 2017. The aviation component of the projected force levels comprise; 60 helicopters, 35 Dornier 228 aircraft for coastal surveillance, an increase from the 24 aircraft currently in service, and 11 medium range, maritme reconnaissance aircraft. The plan also encompasses commensurate increase in the manpower strength to man the augmented aviation assets of ICG.

As a short term measure, Cabinet Committee on Security on February 26, 2010 accorded sanction for the acquisition of 60 surface platforms and 42 aircraft which is being processed with stringent timelines. However, as long term measure, the 11th development plan for 2007-12 was recast on a 15-year perspective spanning from 2007-22.

The approved modernisation plans for ICG Aviation, broadly include 42 aircraft, prominent among them being six MRMR (medium range, maritime reconnaissance) aircraft. The ICG version of MRMR, aircraft is multi-mission maritime aircraft (MMA). In the recent past RFP were issued for six MMA. Two leading aircraft manufacturers, the Russian Irkut’s Beriev Be-200 and the American Bombardier Q400, whose bids were conforming to the RFP, were shortlisted for trials. However, both aircraft failed to qualify the stringent field evaluation tests. Considering the strategic importance of MMA for ICG, currently a case is being pursued with the Ministry of Defence for expeditious issue of fresh RFP for six MMA.

For upgrading surveillance capabilities of ICG, the 11th development plan catered for induction of 12 Dornier aircraft at a cost of $ 320 million, of which four have already been inducted into the service.

Request for proposals for eight helicopters for coastal surveillance and search and rescue (SAR), two each to be based at Chennai, Kochi, Daman and Port Blair were issued. The tender envisaged initial lease period of two years, extendable to two more years. Initially, RFP was issued to four major helicopter manufacturers – French Eurocopter, British-Italian Agusta Westland and two American Companies Kaman and Sikorsky. However, towards the end 2009 the same was cancelled for technical reasons. To elicit response from a larger segment of helicopter manufacturers and the operators, both of Indian and foreign origins, a fresh RFP was issued in early 2011 to as many as 16 vendors. In response though, only Sikorsky and Agusta Westland responded to the tender. While the present status of the dry-lease programme is not known, it is understood that the plan is presumably in limbo.

In addition, a $200 million RFP for 16 twin-engine light helicopters to be deployed on ICG ships to augment aerial patrol and surveillance, as also the search and rescue capabilities has been approved by the Ministry of Defence. The RFP has been issued to four leading helicopter manufacturing companies, namely Eurocopter, Agusta Westland, Sikorsky and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Since none of the vendors qualified during the technical evaluation, fresh RFI has been issued. Considering urgent requirement for ship borne helicopters, it is estimated that it will not be long before fresh RFP to the qualified vendors is issued.

Further, there are reports to suggest that RFP for procurement of additional 14 twin-engine shore-based helicopters for ICG is at final stage for approval by the Government.

The modernisation plan for ICG Aviation is an integral part of the major revamp of coastal security apparatus prompted by the events of Mumbai 26/11. Whilst the recast 11th development plan on a 15 years long perspective was fast tracked for approval of the Government, the consequential acquisition and procurement processes have been quite tardy which may be detrimental to envisaged capability build plan for the nation’s coastal security.