Coast Guard ship ICGS Samar, the first of its class Offshore Patrol Vessel, was decommissioned with full honours at a ceremony held at the Coast Guard Jetty in Kochi on Saturday (4th November 2023) evening.<br />'' <br />'' An impressive Guard was paraded during the ceremony and with sunset, the Coast Guard Ensign was hauled down onboard the ship for the last time, ending its glorious service spanning over 27 years. Later, 'Paying off Pennant,' equal to the length of the ship was lowered as a symbolic representation of decommissioning.<br />'' <br />'' Additional Director General Coast Guard,  S Paramesh, former Director General Dr Prabhakaran Paleri, previous Commanding Officers and sailors were among those present during the decommissioning ceremony.<br />'' <br />''ICGS Samar, commissioned in to the Coast Guard in February 1996 by the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao at Goa, was initially based at Mumbai and later rebased in Kochi.