Navy builds IPC for Coastguard

Sri Lanka Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake ceremonially handed over the third Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC) constructed by the Navy to the Sri Lanka Coastguard at SLNS Rangalla on July 12.

Sri Lanka Coastguard Director General Rear Admiral Ruwan Dias, senior officers of the Navy and the Sri Lanka Coastguard were present at the occasion.

The new IPC augments the operational capability of the Sri Lanka Coastguard to increase its fleet requirements at a low cost, saving a substantial amount of foreign exchange.

The craft was constructed at SLNS Mahasen in Welisara under the Navy’s IPC Construction Project at an approximate cost of 20 million rupees.

The new IPC is custom-built using indigenous expertise and raw material to the specifications required by the Coastguard. It is 14.85 metres long and 3.4 metres wide.

It has a displacement of 9.8 tons and is fitted with two engines of 350 HP each. The hull of the craft is made of fibre glass.

The craft is equipped with a modern radar system, a GPS system and an electronic compass.