INS Sardar Patel: Indian Navy's new base in Gujarat set to be commissioned

NEW DELHI: INS 'Sardar Patel', India's latest Naval establishment is set to be commissioned at Porbandar, Gujarat by the Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel on May 9, 2015. Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff would also be present for the ceremony.

In view of the enhanced operational tempo along the coast of Gujarat there is a requirement of gradually enhancing the infrastructure for supporting the forward deployed Navy units and personnel. The commissioning of INS Sardar Patel is one of the steps being taken by the Navy in this direction.

The commissioning of INS Sardar Patel at Porbandar would enable the Navy to augment its infrastructure and organisational effectiveness in Gujarat. It would improve coordination and synergy with other maritime agencies.

The base would improve the logistic support being provided to the Indian Navy units deployed in the Northern Arabian Sea, including that along the International Maritime Boundary Line with Pakistan.

Gujarat has India's longest coastline of 880 NM. Gujarat's ports collectively handle about 300 million tons of cargo annually. This is about 30% of the total cargo handled in the ports of India.

In the Gulf of Kutch there are 12 single point moorings (SPMs) through which about 120 million tons of crude oil is supplied to various refineries on the coast and in the hinterland. This constitutes 71% of the oil import into the country.