The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is set to make a significant enhancement in its maritime surveillance and operational readiness by inducting Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into its fleet, a move aimed at bolstering coastal reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence gathering capabilities.

In a recorded podcast released by the Ministry of Defence, ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani outlined how these high-tech platforms will act as force multipliers in safeguarding India’s maritime interests.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to increase situational awareness and responsiveness across the nation’s extensive coastline and in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), where security challenges are becoming increasingly complex. The planned UAV integration will complement the ICG’s existing fleet of 205 ships and crafts, along with 78 aircraft comprising both fixed-wing and rotary-wing assets.

The DG also provided updates on the ongoing Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) Project, which is crucial to India’s maritime domain awareness ambitions. Phase 1 of this project currently operates 46 fully functional radar stations along the coastline, monitoring vessel movements and maritime threats in real time. Phase 2, which will add 38 new radar stations, is in its final stages and is expected to be operational by the end of the current year, significantly expanding radar coverage and detection efficiency.

This will ensure integrated surveillance from strategic coastal points, enhancing early warning capabilities against illicit activities such as smuggling, piracy, and unauthorized fishing, as well as aiding in disaster-response coordination.

Highlighting operational readiness, DG Sivamani drew attention to the Coast Guard’s 14 hovercrafts strategically deployed along coastal belts, particularly effective for patrolling shallow waters, creeks, and riverine areas that are otherwise inaccessible to conventional vessels. These assets, when combined with the forthcoming UAVs, are expected to create a multi-layered surveillance grid.

On logistics readiness, Sivamani stressed the ICG’s robust support system, wherein strategically located Coast Guard stations and district headquarters ensure quick-operational turnaround for ships. Adequate stocks of fuel, rations, and water are maintained so that patrolling vessels can rapidly refuel, resupply, and return to sea without operational delays.

The DG recounted recent operational challenges, including the June fire onboard Singapore-flagged MV Wan Hai 503 and the May sinking of the Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 off Kerala’s Kochi coast. In each case, the ICG demonstrated swift and coordinated response efforts, ensuring minimal environmental damage to India’s marine ecosystem. Such rescue efforts underscore the ICG’s role not only in maritime law enforcement but also in humanitarian and environmental protection missions.

In line with the government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India), the ICG is also expanding its indigenously built ship inventory. Recent milestones include the July launch of ICGS Atal, the sixth in a series of eight state-of-the-art indigenously designed Fast Patrol Vessels by Goa Shipyard Limited, and ICGS Samudra Prachet, the second advanced pollution control vessel aimed at rapid oil-spill response within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Both vessels mark technological advancement and reduced dependence on foreign sourcing, reflecting the growing domestic shipbuilding capability.

Key Advantages

The induction of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will significantly transform India’s maritime security by providing a force multiplier effect for surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering over its vast coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). These aerial platforms, equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), thermal sensors, and AI-enhanced data analytics, will vastly improve the Indian Coast Guard’s ability to conduct wide-area, real-time maritime domain awareness with greater precision and speed.

Such UAVs enable continuous, long-endurance patrols that help detect suspicious vessels, illegal fishing, smuggling, piracy, and emerging asymmetric threats like autonomous surface vessels used by non-state actors. AI algorithms process the data collected to identify anomalies, flag AIS spoofing, and generate actionable intelligence for operational commanders, effectively extending the Coast Guard’s reach without increasing the number of manned missions.

The forthcoming Phase 2 of the Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN), complementing UAV deployment, will enhance radar coverage with 38 additional radar stations operational by year-end. This integrated coastal radar and UAV network will create a multi-layered surveillance grid to track vessel movements and provide early warning of maritime threats. This will facilitate rapid response capabilities and better maritime ecosystem protection, as seen in recent disaster responses.

Drones with night vision and thermal imaging will also provide critical capability to conduct surveillance in adverse weather and darkness, key for border regions vulnerable to infiltration or illicit activities. Their operational use will increase efficiency and lower costs compared to traditional maritime patrols, helping cover India’s 7,500+ km coastline more effectively.

The integration of RPAs and UAVs, supported by expanded coastal radar and digital networking, will make the Coast Guard a modern, tech-enabled force. It will boost maritime security by enhancing early threat detection, reducing response times, and enabling smarter resource allocation for safeguarding India’s maritime interests, trade routes, and environmental security within the complex Indian Ocean Region. This aligns with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by integrating indigenous platforms and cutting-edge technology into the maritime domain.

Based On A PTI Report