Mangalore : The second Hovercraft Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) H-198 will be arriving at Panambur to strengthen the coastal security along the Karnataka coast on October 6, Monday.

The 21 mtrs long ACV with 31 tons of displacement can achieve maximum speed of 45 knots (90 kmph) is capable of moving on land as well as sea.

The UK built ACV is fully armed with heavy machine guns and state-of-art communication and navigation equipment including radar and worldwide satellite communication and is also capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and rendering assistance to small boats/crafts at sea.

ACV H-196 is operated by skimming over the surface of the water using a cushion of air created by two propellers placed on top of the craft.

It is recalled that the first Hovercraft ACV H-196, built by UK arrived at Mangalore on September 22, 2014.