A new aircraft will soon be at the service of the National Coast Guard of the Mauritius Police Force (MPF). This new equipment known as the Passenger Variant Dornier Aircraft, DO 228 has been manufactured at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Kanpur, India.
Mauritius is said to be the first customer to order such a state-of-the-art technology aircraft from the HAL. The handing over ceremony took place in India on Wednesday 06 April 2022 by the Transport Aircraft Division of HAL.
This new Passenger Variant Dornier Aircraft, DO 228, equipped with a glass cockpit, dash-10 engines and 5- bladed propellers, fitted with an Automatic Information System, and having an increased load carriage capacity is meant to assist in enhancing effectiveness of the actual surveillance system to ensure safety at sea and around the territorial waters of Mauritius. It will also enable a rapid response with the outer islands of the Republic of Mauritius, especially, in emergency situations. The MPF envisions equipping itself with this first of its kind aircraft in a bid to ensure overall efficiency and effectiveness prevails in its numerous sorties that have accrued with the covid-19 pandemic.
The key of the aircraft was symbolically handed over to the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of Civil Service, Government of Mauritius, Mr Nayen Koomar Ballah, GOSK by the Chairman and managing director, HAL, Shri R. Madhavan in the presence of a delegation comprising of Mr. Anil Kumar Dip, CSK, PMSM, Mauritius Commissioner of Police, Capt Vipin Gupta Commandant National Coast Guard, Cdr Prashant Kumar Sharma COMAS and PMO Officials, Mrs Pusmawtee Sohun Deputy Permanent Secretary to PMO, Mrs Asha Dabeesingh, Deputy Permanent Secretary Cabinet Office, and members of acceptance team among other prominent officials from various governmental organizations.
The aircraft shall be ferried back to Mauritius by the acceptance team of Govt of Mauritius and shall be commissioned into the National Coast Guard by the Prime Minister of Mauritius upon arrival.