Exercise Cutlass Express 2018 - US, Djibouti and Seychelles

Indian Navy to Handover Fast Attack Craft INS Tarasa to Seychelles Coast Guard

Three Indian Navy ships - INS Mumbai, INS Talwar and INS Deepak arrived Port Victoria, Seychelles towards bolstering bilateral ties and reinforcing cooperation in maritime security between India and Seychelles.

The visit of Indian Navy ships also coincides with the visit of Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, who is visiting Seychelles (06-09 Nov 14) to hand over the second Indian Fast Attack Craft (FAC) to the Government of Seychelles  (07 Nov 14).

The first craft, SCG Topaz (formerly INS Tarmugli) was gifted to the Seychelles by the Government of India in 2005 and has served the Seychelles Coast Guard well, having carried out several anti-piracy patrols and captured several pirates. The handing over of the second attack craft will further bolster the strength of the Seychelles Coast Guard and serve as another visible, potent symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

INS Tarasa, which has been recently refitted at Naval Dockyard Mumbai, will join her sister ship SCG Topaz as part of the Indian Navy's assistance to Seychelles Coast Guard in capacity building towards meeting her maritime security needs. In addition, the Indian Navy would also position a maintenance and support team to assist the Seychelles Coast Guard. The Indian Navy remains committed to support Seychelles in its endeavours to ensure good order at sea and protection of its vast Exclusive Economic Zone.

Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) takes delivery of new Chinese patrol boat

The Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) formally took delivery of the bespoke Type 62 patrol boat Etoile (607) during a ceremony on 17 June. The vessel was donated by the People's Republic of China as part of its efforts to bolster the tiny island nation's maritime security capacity and will considerably improve the SGC's ability to police the country's 1.3 million km 2 exclusive economic zone.

The formal handover took place after seven weeks of pre-commissioning activities in the Seychelles that included minor outfitting and crew training by a team of 18 Chinese naval personnel.Etoile was built by South China Repairs Shipyard in Guangzhou. Its keel was laid in March 2013, the vessel was launched on 24 October 2013, and sea trials were conducted from December 2013. The vessel was then delivered to the Seychelles by cargo ship.

Etoile 's has a cruising speed of 16 kt and a top speed of 26 kt. It is equipped with one 6.5 m, 30 kt rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) that has a GPS plotter and depth sounder. The RHIB is launched and recovered by a stern ramp.