Mangalore, Feb 13: The Indian Coast Guard ship H-194 will arrive at Panambur beach in city from February 14 to 19. H-194 is the third series of Air Cushion Vehicle (ACVs) designed and built by M/S Griffon Hover works Limited UK and commissioned at Mumbai by inspector general SPS Basra, Commander Coast Guard Region (west) on December 23, 2013.
The ACV is 21 metres long with 31 tons displacement can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots. It has the capacity of undertaking tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and rendering assistance to small boats/crafts.
This hovercraft is capable of moving on land as well as sea. The craft operates by skimming over the surface of the water using a cushion of air created by two propellers fitted on top of the craft.
The hovercraft is scheduled to be based at New Mangalore once infrastructure is created to strengthen the coastal security along the coast off Karnataka.
Rajendra Singh Sapal, commandant, district ops and plans officer for district commander in a press release stated that the hovercraft is commanded by Commandant Sandeep Safaya and armed with heavy machine guns and latest state of the art communication and navigation equipment including radar and worldwide satellite communication.
