Amid India-China Faceoff, Indian Army Orders 12 Fast Patrol Boats For Ladakh's Pangong Lake; Deliveries To Begin From May

Indian Army's capabilities to ensure effective security and surveillance in the strategically located Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh is set to get a big boost as the force has placed an order for 12 new specialised fast patrol boats for patrolling the lake for Rs 65 crore, reports Times of India.

The order includes not just the new boats, but also the supplies of their spares and maintenance for four years. The order has been awarded to defence public sector undertaking (PSU) Goa Shipyard, which will begin the supply of the patrol boats starting May 2021.

It should be noted that the Indian Army already has 17 quick reaction team (QRT) boats patrolling the region since 2012-13. However, the Indian Army had been looking to augment its capabilities to match the PLA's heavier Type 928B patrol boats.

According to the report, the order for 12 new boats indicates that the Indian Army is preparing for a longer deployment in the region, where both the Indian and Chinese armies are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation at multiple locations along the LAC since June 2020.