Air Cushion Vehicles to be commissioned on November 10

MANGALURU: Two new Air Cushion Vehicles ( ACVs) acquired by the coast guard, H-196 and H-198, would be commissioned by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala at the Coast Guard complex at Panambur near here on November 10.

The ACVs would complement the existing four inshore patrol vessels with the Coast Guard, Deputy Inspector General of Indian Coast Guard and Karnataka commander Rajamani Sharma said.

The 21-metre-long ACV with 31 tons displacement could achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots, he said. It was capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and rendering assistance to small boats and crafts.

The craft could move on land and sea. It operates by skimming over the surface of the water using a cushion of air created by two propellers fitted on top of the craft.

It was fully armed with heavy machine guns and latest state-of-the-art communication and navigation equipment, including radar and worldwide satellite communication, he said in a release here.