India has gifted two water-jet-propelled fast interceptor craft (FIC) to the government of Mozambique as part of its capacity-building engagements with friendly foreign nations of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR),
The High Commissioner of India in Mozambique, Shri Robert Shetkintong, India’s newly appointed Defence Adviser at Maputo, Colonel Puneet Attri, and the Commanding Officer of INS Gharial, Commander Rajan Chib, attended the handing over ceremony in Nacala.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence, Augusto Casimiro Mueio, formally accepted the vessels on behalf of the Government of Mozambique.
According to a statement released by the Indian Defence Ministry, the water-jet-propelled boats have a top speed of 45 knots and a range of 200 nautical miles at 12 knots. They can carry a crew of five personnel and are equipped with machine guns and bullet-resistant cabins.
The vessels are expected to aid Mozambique’s effort to combat maritime terrorism and the ongoing insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province.
The Indian Navy has been seen by several nations in the IOR as the preferred partner for maritime security. It has collaborated with several friendly littorals of the IOR to equip and train their maritime security forces to counter maritime security challenges like piracy, drug and human trafficking, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated fishing, and maritime terrorism.
Earlier, to bolster Mozambique’s maritime security efforts, India gifted two large interceptor vessels to the country in 2019, followed by two Fics of the same class in January 2022.
“India has provided training opportunities for the Mozambique armed forces in various professional institutions of the Indian armed forces. India also gifted an Infantry weapons training simulator to Mozambique in November last year to be installed at the army school, Manhica, near Maputo,” the ministry said.
Training on operating and maintaining the gifted vessels is provided by the resident Indian Coast Guard Afloat Support Team at Maputo.
“The interceptor vessels gifted by India have played a pivotal role since 2019 in anti-insurgency operations, maritime patrol and interdiction, and logistics support missions. In the last two years, Indian warships have made regular port calls at Maputo, Beira and Nacala,” the ministry said.
India’s naval ships Tir and Sujata participated in the second edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise at Nacala in March 2023. Previously, Indian naval ships Sujata, Sunayna and Sumedha undertook joint surveillance missions with the Mozambique Navy to strengthen maritime security in the region and undertake harbour and sea training for Mozambique Navy personnel.
“India and Mozambique share a robust strategic partnership that has grown even stronger with each passing year in multiple realms. India is fully committed to helping and supporting its maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region in line with the vision of Security and Growth for all in the region advocated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” the ministry said.
The Indian Navy has also been the first responder to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support to several countries in the region during weather calamities and disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic.
