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The Indian Army will soon patrol in modern, indigenously-built Fast Interceptor Boats (FIBs) on the Lake Pangong which lies on Line of Actual control between India and China. Lake Pangong is a 134 kilometre long salt water lake in the Ladakh region at an altitude of 14,000 feet. The lake lies between India and China and two-thirds of Lake Pangong is with China.
Till date, the Indian soldiers have been patrolling the Lake Pangong on their old assault boats but have been forced to back-out by their Chinese counterparts who use hi-tech speedboats to swerve near them and knock-off the soldiers with the impact itself. Although China and India signed an Agreement on Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control and not a shot has been fired, this kind of subtle power play has been happening in the Lake Pangong.
In order to even out these skirmishes that involves boat-bumping and other manouveres, the Indian Army will soon patrol in modern, indigenously-built Fast Interceptor Boats (FIBs) that can travel faster than the Chinese boats, while carrying 16 fully equipped soldiers to respond to a crisis situation.
Rear Admiral K C Sekhar, Chairman and Managing Director of the public sector Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata has confirmed that they have received a Request for Proposal for 17 FIBs for deployment in a high altitude, extreme cold environment. The Indian Army has given its requirements which includes higher endurance allowing them to remain on station longer in a bitterly cold climate. GRSE will also build a cabin for the 16 soldiers on each boat, providing protection from the weather as well as from small arms fire.
Currently, GRSE is awaiting design approval from the Indian Army. GRSE is offering a modified version of the 12-tonne FIB it is building for the Indian Home Ministry. The FIB is built of glass-reinforced plastic and capable of achieving 38 knots (70 kilometres per hour). These FIBs were designed by Greek shipbuilder, Motomarine and GRSE bought this design along with that of a smaller 5-tonne FIB.GRSE is now for building 78 such boats by September 2010 for coastal police forces of states along the Bay of Bengal. GRSE has already built and delivered 12 interceptor boats in the last eight months.
Although the frequency of incursions by Chinese speedboats on Indian territory in and around the lake has not increased over the past few years, transgression has occurred in the past. China has a stronger military presence on the lake and the Chinese Navy operates close to 22 armed patrol boats in the lake — mostly smaller vessels seating five to seven soldiers.
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