New Delhi, Nov 11 : As part of its capacity-building engagements with friendly foreign nations of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), India gifted two water-jet propelled Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) to Mozambique on Friday. The FICs were transshipped from India by INS Gharial.

The handing over ceremony was attended by the High Commissioner of India in Mozambique, Robert Shetkintong, India's newly appointed Defence Adviser at Maputo, Colonel Puneet Attri, and the Commanding Officer of INS Gharial, Commander Rajan Chib. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence, Augusto Casimiro Mueio, formally accepted the vessels on behalf of the Mozambique Government.

These 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 two FICs will significantly aid the Mozambique Government in its effort to combat maritime terrorism and ongoing insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province.

Earlier, to bolster the efforts of the Mozambique Government for maritime security, India had gifted two large Interceptor vessels in 2019, followed by two FICs of the same class in January 2022.

The Indian Navy has been seen by several nations in the IOR as the preferred partner for maritime security. The Indian Navy has been collaborating 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 (IUU) fishing, maritime terrorism, etc.

The Indian Navy has also been the first responder to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to several nations in the region during natural calamities and other contingencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2019, Indian Naval Ships Sujata & Shardul and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi were diverted from their deployment to assist Mozambique when Cyclone Idai struck the Sofala province. Over a period of two weeks, the ships rescued more than 200 civilians, provided emergency medical treatment to over 2,300 people and supplied 10 tonnes of food material by boats and helicopter to flood-affected areas.

In March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India donated 100,000 doses and supplied over one million doses of the Covishield vaccine to Mozambique under the COVAX programme.

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 Practicing School Manhica, near Maputo.

On-job training on operating and maintaining the Indian-gifted vessels is also provided by the resident Indian Coast Guard Afloat Support Team at Maputo. The Interceptors vessels gifted by India have played a pivotal role since 2019 in anti-insurgency operations, maritime patrol & interdiction, and logistics support missions.

In the last two years, Indian Warships have made regular port calls at Maputo, Beira and Nacala. Indian Naval Ships Tir and Sujata participated in the 2nd edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania (IMT) Trilateral Exercise at Nacala, held in March 2023.

Previously, Indian Naval Ships Sujata, Sunayna and Sumedha undertook Joint EEZ 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 thus 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 (SAGAR) advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

/IANS