Unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol TN Coast

C Shivakumar

Chennai: As part of modernization, the Indian Navy will have Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which will be stationed in the Tamil Nadu coast, a senior Naval officer said on Wednesday.



“We are planning to have Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) by next year. They will be based in the air stations in Tamil Nadu,” a senior Naval officer told Express on board INS Shivalik.



Indian Navy has two naval air stations in the state -- INS Rajali at Arakkonam and INS Parundu at Uchipuli.



He also said that fishermen attacked by the Sri Lankan navy should file First Information Report in the police station so that the Indian Navy has statistics to take it up with the Sri Lankan authorities during the meeting they have every six months.



It is also believed the newly appointed Sri Lankan navy chief has issued strict instructions to the Sri lankan naval personnel not to shoot at Indian fishermen, he added.



He said that the Navy had joined hands with the Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu Police and the Indian Coast Guard in educating the fishermen along the Tamil Nadu coast on the importance of International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).


“We have seven detachments in the state and are educating the fishermen on the perils on the other end and what coastal security means. This has minimized intrusions. We are also involving fishermen in patrolling the seas. They are being provided remuneration by the Indian Navy,” he said.