The Indian Coast Guard decommissioned one of its patrol vessels in a ceremony on Friday, August 21.
ICGS Meera Behn is the sixth of seven Sarojini Naidu-class fast patrol vessels (FPVs) to be built for the Indian Coast Guard by Goa Shipyard.
Meera Behn, which was homeported in Okha in Gujarat, served for 20 years, having been commissioned on July 25, 2006. She is also the third FPV in her class to be retired from service.
The Sarojini Naidu-class vessels were built to be capable of shallow-water operation. Their missions included anti-smuggling and anti-terrorism patrols, fisheries enforcement, and search and rescue.
The FPVs were also configured to be capable of supporting the Indian Navy during wartime by serving as convoy escorts and communications relay ships.
Named in honour of a noted figure in the Indian independence movement, Meera Behn has a length of 48 metres, a beam of 7.5 metres, a draught of only two metres, a displacement of 259 tonnes, and a crew complement of six officers and 36 enlisted sailors.
The FPV's armament included a 30mm naval gun and two 12.7mm machine guns.
Three MTU 2,720kW diesel engines delivered a top speed of 35 knots and a range of 1,500 nautical miles at 12 knots.