Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sankalp, the advanced offshore patrol vessel (OPV) undertook the overseas deployment of 32 days to Singapore, Australia and Indonesia as part of international cooperation through exchange of information and bilateral exercises.

For the first time ever, an Indian Coast Guard ship made a port call at Darwin, Australia, on a five-day visit to further strengthen the expanding maritime cooperation between the two nations. During the stay at Darwin, ICG interacted with Australian Customs & Border Protection Services and Border Protection Command.

The ship was welcomed by Scott Morrison MP, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Australia. While welcoming the ship to Australian waters, the Minister said that Australia and India have a mature maritime security relationship, which will be strengthened by the implementation of the joint framework for security cooperation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The visit by ICG ship share a common interest in combating other maritime threats in the region, search and rescue, marine pollution, transnational crime, illegal foreign fishing and demonstrates the deepening and expanding maritime security relationship between the two nations.

ICGS Sankalp was commissioned in 2008. The vessel is indigenously built by the Goa Shipyard Limited and equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment. The ship is 105-meter-long with endurance of 6,500 nautical mile is an ideal platform for extended deployment at sea towards SAR, maritime law enforcement, EEZ surveillance and maritime pollution response mission.

The ship has complement of 11 officers and 100 sailors, and is being commanded by Deputy Inspector General M.V. Pathak.