Summary:
By Express News ServiceCHENNAI: Indian Coast Guard aims to expand its aircraft inventory by acquiring 16 advanced light helicopters and 50 vessels. At present, there are 145 ships and 62 aircrafts, Coast Guard Director-General Krishnaswamy Natarajan told reporters on the sidelines of the 19th India-Japan Coast Guard Exercise, on Thursday. In 2019, Coast Guard apprehended around Rs 2,000 crore worth of drugs with most of them from the Western Coast, he said. Japan Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Takahiro Okushima said the relationship between the two coast guards was getting stronger every year. One ship of Japanese Coast Guard and four ships and an aircraft of Indian Coast Guard took part in the exercise..