CGS Tajuddin is a Leader Class offshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Coast Guard. Built in Italy in 1990 as a Minerva-class corvette, Sibilla (F 558). She was purchased from the Italian Navy in 2015 and has been serving the Bangladesh Coast Guard since 2016.

History
Bangladesh
NameCGS Tajuddin
BuilderFincantieri
Laid down16 October 1989
Launched15 September 1990
Acquired5 August 2016
Commissioned12 January 2017
Identification
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and typeLeader Class
Displacement1,285 tonnes
Length87 m (285 ft)
Beam10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught3.2 m (10 ft)
Depth5.5 m (18 ft)
Propulsion
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement120 personnel including 7 officers
Armament

History edit

The ship was laid down on 16 October 1989 by Fincantieri SpA at La Spezia, Italy, and launched at 15 September 1990. She was commissioned to the Italian Navy as an ASW corvette named Sibilla (F 558) on 16 May 1991.[1] On 28 March 1997, Sibilia was in collision with the Albanian ship Kateri i Radës in the Strait of Otranto, which sank with the loss of numerous Albanian migrants, an event known as the Tragedy of Otranto.[2] In 2015, she was decommissioned from the Italian Navy and sold to the Bangladesh Coast Guard.[1] Then the ship has gone through extensive refit at Fincantieri where it was converted to an offshore patrol vessel. All sensors and armaments were removed from the ship and replaced by the Bangladesh Coast Guard requirements.

Career edit

Tajuddin was handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard on 5 August 2016.[3][4] She left Italy for Bangladesh on 3 September 2016 and reached Chittagong, Bangladesh on 2 November 2016.[5] She was commissioned to the Bangladesh Coast Guard on 12 January 2017.[6][7]

CGS Tajuddin visited India from 7 February to 17 February 2017 on a goodwill mission. She visited the Goa port of India from 7 February to 11 February 2017. During her stay at Goa, the ship participated in 10th Regional Co-operation Agreement (ReCAP) for safe and secure sea 2017 exercise. Then she visited the Chennai Port of India from 14 February to 17 February 2017.[8]

CGS Tajuddin left Chattogram on 22 May 2018 for a goodwill visit to India.[9] She reached Chennai Port of India on 25 May 2018[10] and stayed there till 28 May 2018. She then reached the Visakhapatnam Port of India from 29 May 2018.[11] The ship came back home on 4 June 2018.[12]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "F 558 ITS Sibilla". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  2. ^ Ciantar, Philip (2015). "Performing Nostalgia: Migration Culture and Creativity in South Albania by Eckehard Pistrick (review)" (PDF). Journal of Mediterranean Studies. 24 (2): 256–259. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Italian navy hands over two warships to Coast Guard". theindependentbd.com. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  4. ^ "1st 2 OPVs Delivered to Bangladesh Coast Guard". asdnews.com.com. 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Two new BCG ships reach Ctg port". The Asian Age. 3 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  6. ^ "PM asks coast guards to dedicate to serving nation". BSS news. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Bangladesh Coast Guard to take due steps against militancy". SATV. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "BCGS Tajuddin arrives at Chennai Port". United News of India. 14 February 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Coast guard ship 'Tajuddin' leaves for India". The Financial Express. 22 May 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Coast Guard ship from Bangladesh docks at Chennai port". The Times of India. 26 May 2018. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Strengthening ties: Bangladesh Coast Guard ship Tajuddin arrives at Visakhapatnam Port". The Financial Express. 29 May 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Coastguard ship returns home after goodwill visit". The Daily Sun. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.