Interceptor boat from India handed over to Seychelles |22 January 2016

A fast interceptor boat that India had promised to Seychelles and which arrived in the country earlier this month, was formally handed over to the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) yesterday.

The hand-over ceremony took place at the SCG base on Ile Perseverance.

The boat has been named Hermes, one of the fishing banks of the Seychelles, just like the other ships in the coast guard fleet which are used for surveillance, assistance and defence of the Seychelles maritime zone and combating maritime crime.

Hermes is the third vessel from India to join the SCG after PS Topaz and PS Constant.

The boat was handed over by the Indian Coast Guard director general, Vice-Admiral H.C.S Bisht in the presence of the Commander in Chief of the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF) and President of the Republic James Michel, Vice-President Danny Faure, High Commissioner of India Sanjay Panda, and other government ministers and high officials of both the Seychelles and Indian defence forces.

The gifting of the fast interceptor boat to Seychelles was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the state visit of President James Michel to India in August 2015.

The interceptor boat is 27.5 metres long with a displacement of 140 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 45 knots.

The Chief of Defence Forces, Brigadier Leopold Payet, said that for the SPDF, the defence of our country, the protection and preservation of maritime environment, and the safety and security of sailors are of utmost importance.

“Undertaking continuous maritime patrols and policing activities in our vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ) constitute the bulk of Seychelles Coast Guard duties,” he said.

He added the addition of this new craft to the fleet would boost the country’s capability to undertake surveillance of our EEZ and safeguarding our maritime areas and enhance Seychelles capability to deal with maritime crimes within our region.

He also remarked that India has been the major contributor to the SPDF in terms of training and expert support.

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Laurencine, who is the commander of the Seychelles Coastguard naval wing, described the handing over as a prestigious moment in the history of the SCG and the SPDF.

He added that the new fast interceptor craft will strengthen the unit’s operational capabilities as the fleet of patrol boat is increased and the coast guard and inner island patrols are also enhanced.

He added this makes the SPDF maritime component more capable and more efficient to cope, to protect and defend our maritime zone of 1.3 million square kilometres and the maritime challenges especially the protection of a sustainable development of our Blue economy.

Vice-Admiral Bisht said the handing over of the fast interceptor craft to the Seychelles symbolises the deep and historic ties between the two maritime nations and further cements the two countries’ ties towards the achievements of common security objectives in the region.

The ceremony preceded with the traditional cutting of cake and the signing of transfer certificate of the fast interceptor boat between Brigadier Payet and High Commissioner Panda.

Lieutenant Hans Radegonde is the commanding officer of Hermes.