The Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) is a branch of the Seychelles People's Defence Force created in 1993. 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.
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 and India 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. In the action of 30 March 2010, the PS Topaz successfully eliminated a small Somali pirate contingent. In January 2011, the Seychelles Coast Guard and Royal Danish Navy unsuccessfully attempted to recapture a German freighter from pirates. On 20 April 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. In 2013 the UAE paper The National reported that Seychelles was imprisoning more than 100 convicted pirates at the time.
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.
In 2023 the country is involved in Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Equipment Patrol ships are named after local fishing banks and natural features.
Current vessels NameQuantityImageLengthNotesOriginSaya De MalhaSCG's first auxiliary vesselPortugalThorpeWave Rider-class; Cummins engine, Sri LankaAfricanEtoileShanghai-class II; Built especially as per Seychelles specifications. Equipped with a 6.5-metre speed boatChinaLa FlecheRodman Group, Spain builtUAELe VigilantUAE3Rigid hull inflatablesUAEFortuneSaw service with Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionUnited KingdomZoroaster; ; refits in 2024 and 2026.IndiaHermes (ex C-405)India ; 320-ton vessel, speeds; SDB Mk 5 patrol vesselIndia ; Medium refit in 2017IndiaLespwar1Adamaya-class patrol vesselIndia
Former vessels
Andromache
Aircraft
Harbin Y-12 Dornier 228
See also Action of 30 March 2010
References
Further reading
External links
U.S. State Dept Article on Seychelles Seychellese Coast Guard boarding exercise (2022)