The Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) is a branch of the Seychelles People's Defence Force created in 1993.[1] It is a maritime, military, multi-mission service. They acquired responsibility for search and rescue for vessel incidents as well as environmental protection from the Seychelles Port Authority, formerly known as the Port and Marine Services Division.
| Seychelles Coast Guard | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1993 |
| Countries |  Seychelles |
| Type | Coast guard |
| Role | Coastal defence, maritime law |
| Engagements | Anti-piracy measures in Somalia Operation Prosperity Guardian |
Although Seychelles is a small country, it is located off the Horn of Africa, strategically close to the operation of notorious pirates. Sri Lanka, China, United Arab Emirates[2][3] and India[4][5] have made strategic donations of patrol vessels to the Seychelles.
History
Through the Seychelles Coast Guard's employment of her small fleet, Seychelles has been able to arrest, try, and convict many pirates. On April 20, 2011, the Seychellois patrol boats La Fleche and Andromache engaged Somali pirates in combat for over an hour and a half before recapturing the Seychellois fishing vessel Gloria which had been taken by the pirates two days earlier.[6]In 2013 the UAE paper The National reported that Seychelles was imprisoning more than 100 convicted pirates at the time.[7]
In May 2011, the SCG helped to protect the privacy of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their honeymoon on the North Island. At the end of their stay, the couple invited several members of the Coast Guard ashore to personally thank them for their efforts.[8]
In 2023 the country is involved in Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Equipment
Patrol ships are named after local fishing banks and natural features.[9]
Current vessels
| Name | Quantity | Image | Length | Notes | Origin | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saya De Malha | – |  | 41 m (134 ft 6 in) | SCG's first auxiliary vessel | Portugal | [10] |
| Thorpe | – |  | 15 m (49 ft 3 in) | Wave Rider-class; Cummins engine, 42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph) | Sri Lanka | [11][12][13] |
| African | – | |||||
| Etoile | – |  | 39 m (127 ft 11 in) | Shanghai-class II; Built especially as per Seychelles specifications. Equipped with a 6.5-metre speed boat | China | [14][15] |
| La Fleche | – | .jpg) | 30 m (98 ft 5 in) | Rodman Group, Spain built | UAE | [16][17] |
| Le Vigilant | – |  | UAE | [16][17] | ||
| – | 3 |  | 7 m (23 ft 0 in) | Rigid hull inflatables | UAE | [16][17] |
 | ||||||
| Fortune | – |  | 14.3 m (46 ft 11 in) | Saw service with Royal National Lifeboat Institution | United Kingdom | [18] |
| Zoroaster | – | _of_Seychelles_Coast_Guard_arriving_at_Kochi.jpg) | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) | 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) | India | [9][19] |
| Hermes | – |  | 27.5 m (90 ft 3 in) | L&T-class fast interceptor craft (ex C-405) | India | [20] |
| Constant | – |  | 46 m (150 ft 11 in) | Trinkat-class; 320-ton vessel, 56–60 km/h (35–37 mph) speeds; SDB Mk 5 patrol vessel | India | [5] |
| Topaz | – |  | 48 m (157 ft 6 in) | Trinkat-class; Medium refit in 2017 | India | [21][22] |
Former vessels
Aircraft
See also
References
Further reading
- Jensen, Jon (May 22, 2013). "Seychelles' gunboats keep pirates from 'blue gold'". CNN.
- "Seychelles Anti-Piracy Exercise". Maritime Logistics Professional. January 8, 2015.
External links
Media related to Coast guard of Seychelles at Wikimedia Commons- U.S. State Dept Article on Seychelles
- Seychellese Coast Guard boarding exercise (2022)
