Kolkata, Oct 15 (IANS): Bolstering its surveillance and operational capabilities, the Indian Coast Guard on Thursday commissioned fast patrol vessel (FPV) ICGS Anmol for its north-east region command, an official statement said.

Equipped with state of the art weaponry including a Bofors anti-aircraft gun and advanced navigational and communication equipment, the ship is the 13th in the series of 20 FPVs being designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

The 50m long vessel is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 35 knots and has an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles with economical speed of 13 knots.

With a complement of five officers and 33 men, the vessel is the 14th asset to be inducted in Coast Guard northeast region covering West Bengal and Odisha. The ship is equipped to undertake multifarious tasks like surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and medical evacuations in the region.

Commissioning the ship at the Kidderpore dock here, West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi stressed on the importance of the Coast Guard in view of contemporary strategic developments in the region.

"The role of the Coast Guard is becoming crucial day by day because of recent strategic developments in China and adjacent countries. With the upcoming Sagarmala project of the government of India, the responsibility of the service towards safeguarding coastal frontiers will become pivotal in the coming years," he said.

Speaking on the occasion Coast Guard's north east region Inspector General K.R. Nautiyal said the force was on course towards achieving 150 surface platforms and 100 air assets by 2018.