Dec 06: Indian Coast Guard Ship Sajag, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, made a port call at King Abdul Aziz Port, AD Dammam, Saudi Arabia on 05 Dec 2023 on a three-day visit. The visit aims to strengthen long-standing diplomatic ties and enhance cooperative engagements with the Saudi Border Guards and Saudi Naval Forces personnel towards professional exchange/interactions such as training on Vessel Board Search and seizure (VBSS), Maritime Search & Rescue (M-SAR), cross-deck visits, Table Top Exercise on Marine Pollution Response (MPR).
The visit envisages Courtesy Calls by the Ship’s Commanding Officer to various dignitaries and Government Officials of Saudi Arabia besides showcasing India’s shipbuilding capabilities and indigenous technology of advancement in weapons & sensors demonstrating the multi-faceted capabilities of the ICG Surface Platform.
This visit aims to strengthen bilateral relationships with the key maritime agencies namely the Saudi Border Guards and Saudi Naval Forces. These professional associations, developed over the years, objectify to ensuring maritime safety and security in the region while addressing contemporary issues and challenges in the common domain and advocacy of rule-based order at sea.
The overseas deployment of ICG Ship Sajag aligns with the Government’s plan to foster bilateral relationships and strengthen international cooperation with the Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs). During this ongoing West Asia deployment, the ship made port calls to Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman and will be making the port of call to Mina Rashid, UAE in the later part of the deployment.
The visit of ICGS Sajag to West Asia accentuates India’s warm and cordial relations with Gulf countries and further reiterates to fostering of friendly relations through maritime cooperation in consonance with the maritime vision of India “SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region”.
ICG Ship Sajag is part of the Indian Coast Guard fleet of OPVs, based on the West Coast of India in Porbandar, Gujarat, and operates under the operational command of the Commander Coast Guard Region (North West). The ship is equipped with modern weapon systems, sensors, and state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems, including an integral helicopter to support both surface and air operations. Sajag has undertaken a myriad of Coast Guard operations ranging from Coastal Security and IMBL/ EEZ surveillance, anti-transnational crimes, and Maritime SAR and Pollution Response operations in the past.
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