Months after telling India to take back the helicopter it had gifted to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), a Maldivian Coast Guard ship has been sent there for repair work.
According to Indian news outlets, Coast Guard ship 'Huravee' arrived at the Indian navy dockyard Visakhapatnam on 6th July with Commander Major Mohamed Jamsheed and 25 crewmen, escorted by INS Rana from Sri Lanka.
The government of India agreed to assist the Maldivian government, and is to fully fund the ship's repair work. Its extensive refitting is expected to cost over MVR 10 million.
The same ship was taken to Visakhapatnam for repairs in March 2015 as well, and had returned to Maldives in February 2016.
Huravee is a fast-attack craft made in Kolkata, India. The vessel is designed and used 'against pirate and coastal patrol along with anti-drug operations and search and rescue operations'.
While the ship's refitting is to begin on 1st August, it is expected to take four months to complete. Major repairs are to be undertaken on the ship’s hull, main propulsion and auxiliaries followed by trials.
