Farewell ICGS Shaunak!

The Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel ICGS Shaunak slipped out of Fremantle on Sunday morning at 11am, escorted through the heads by a pilot boat and two cornflower-blue coloured tugs. Next port of call is Jakarta.

Shaunak sailed from Chennai on 25 September 2026, for Western Australia under the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission 2026, carrying six participating officers, known as Sea Riders, from four Quad countries, bringing together personnel from India, Australia, Japan and the United States for shipboard activities and professional exchanges – aiming for better interoperability, coordination and mutual trust among the four countries’ maritime forces.

The vessel is one of the Samarth class, and the fourth of six OPVs built for the Indian Coast Guard. Her name, Shaunak, means “wise”. Shaunak is 105 metres long and displaces about 2,500 tons (GRT). Two 9,100 kW diesel engines give her a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 6,500 nautical miles at economical speed. On board are: a twin-engine light helicopter; five high-speed boats, including two Quick Reaction Inflatable Boats for boarding operations, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol; pollution-response equipment to contain oil spills at sea; and equipment to act as a command platform for the full range of Coast Guard duties.

Goa Shipyard Limited built Shaunak and handed her to the Indian Coast Guard on 5 February 2017, ahead of schedule. She was commissioned at Goa on 21 February 2017, with 14 officers and 98 men. Her home port is Visakhapatnam, on India’s east coast.

Shaunak’s main tasks are surveillance of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone and the other duties set out in the Coast Guard charter. India’s EEZ covers waters in three main areas: Arabian Sea — west of mainland India; Bay of Bengal — east of mainland India, and; Indian Ocean — including waters around the Lakshadweep Islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

She has also worked abroad visiting Manila in 2019 with 117 crew for a passage exercise (PASSEX) with the Philippine Coast Guard, the first Indian Coast Guard vessel visit to the Philippines that year.

During this recent visit to Fremantle, the Indian Coast Guard and the Australian Border Force undertook professional exchanges and training activities and hosted a reception for diplomatic representatives. Shaunak was open to visitors on Saturday 10 October during the day as part of the Ship Open to Visitors Program.

Her visit to Fremantle was more than a port call; it was a symbol of international friendship, professional collaboration and a shared commitment to maritime safety and security.

We wish her fair winds and safe travels.

*Story and pics by Jean Hudson. Jean is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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