Coast Guards intercept ‘pirate ship’ off Chennai

Two choppers which had taken off from Indian Coast Guard ships and another chopper from the Japanese Coast Guard had already spotted the ‘pirate ship’ and were conducting sorties, while communicating the location of the ship to their control centre set up on the CG ships of India and Japan. 

The ships quickly located the pirate ship and deployed the commandos in smaller speed boats to intercept while the armed guards on the chopper stood guard. They then successfully surrounded the ‘pirate ship’ and managed to bring the “pirates” on board under control. 

The language barrier between the personnel of the two countries was successfully overcome and the forces scripted another success story in inter-operability. An Indian Coast Guard ship had been designated as a pirate ship as part of the joint exercise ‘Sahyog-Kaijin –XV’ and both the forces hunted it down. 

After the accomplishment of the ‘mission’ both forces displayed their capability in rescue operation, fire-fighting and military formation. Indian personnel got a chance to co-ordinate with those on board the Japanese ship Echigo, and Japanese CG officials were seen on board India’s Samudra Paheredar.  

They used pyrotechnics to convey the location of stranded personnel at sea and the choppers air-lifted the ‘stranded’ from the sea. Then the Indian Coast Guard ship kept pace with a smaller vessel that caught ‘fire’ and doused the flames on board using water cannons.  

“Now we know the approach of Japan Coast Guard to a distress situation and they have understood how our forces handle the situation,” Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, Director General of Indian Coast Guard, said in a post–exercise press conference.  

Japan Coast Guard Vice Commandant, Vice Admiral Hideyo Hanamizu, too was happy about the outcome of the exercise and said Japan was looking forward to better  ties with India for better coastal security operations. 

During the three-day exercise, apart from on-sea operations, the Japanese team will get a chance to visit the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and radar operating centre. The members will meet important dignitaries.