Active 2009–present Branch Indian Navy Size 2,000 personnel | Country India Role Coastal protection | |
Fleet 80 fast interceptor boats | ||
The Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) meaning Ocean Sentinels, is a unit of the Indian Navy, formed in March 2009, which is entrusted with the responsibility of patrolling India's coastal waters. The force consists of 2,000 personnel and is equipped with 80 patrol boats. The force was constituted after the Mumbai terror attacks and the main duty of the force is to guard against such terrorist attacks by patrolling the coastline and also to conduct search and rescue operations. The soldiers are trained at INS Shivaji, a naval training and engineering base, near Lonavla.
The SPB maintains security at all major and minor ports in India and carries out round the clock patrolling and is also part of search and rescue operations in times of emergency.
Arms and Equipment
The arms and ammunition used by the Sagar Prahari Bal is manufactured indigenously by the Indian Ordnance Factories functioning under the Ministry of Defence.