Defence Minister A.K. Antony reviewed costal security measures put in place in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks. Presiding over a high-level meeting, the Minister urged officials from the Navy and the Coast Guard to meet the acquisition deadlines of patrol vessels, interceptor boats, surveillance aircraft and radars, for which the government had already provided vast sums of money.

The Sagar Prahari Bal of the Indian Navy is in the process of acquiring 80 Fast Interceptor Crafts at a cost of over Rs. 300 crore. The Coat Guard is acquiring a number of platforms at the cost of Rs. 6,000 crore, including 70 ships/high speed boats/hovercrafts, seven Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPV) and four Dornier aircraft. To boost costal surveillance capabilities, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is also installing 46 radars at the cost of Rs. 300 crore.1

• 1. Government of India, Press Information Bureau, “High-level meet reviews coastal security,” November 12, 2009