She unveiled the plan at the commissioning of two sophisticated helicopters that would help in air surveillance in fighting crime as well in as search and rescue.
She slammed the previous Government Wednesday for what she called its "cosmetic plans and policies that did nothing to fight the crime scourge and only served to enhance the debt for taxpayers, by billion dollar blimps and OPVs (Offshore Patrol Vessels).
"We scrapped the OPV deal and thus saved billions of dollars which can now be used for other more critical and productive National Security assets," noting that there was consensus that Trinidad and Tobago will never need an armada of three OPVs to fight the illegal supply of drugs and weapons.
She said the government is ensuring that the money saved from the OPV deal will now be utilized in the correct manner to ensure three pronged defensive naval operational plan to safeguard the country
Persad-Bissesssar said the first line of defence would be at least 12 Coast Guard installations strategically placed around the island, with fast patrol interceptors assigned specifically to each installation.
She said this will ensure that the country could be properly secured, which could not have been done by one OPV simply patrolling 100 miles off our East Coast. Each installation will have two fast patrol interceptors with high speed capability patrolling 24 hours per day or in a position to be on immediate stand by.
This will ensure a rapid reaction with the crew onboard being armed and awaiting word to slip or in some cases tied off on a buoy at sea, of which there will be a specific area of responsibility for each installation to secure.
These Coast Guard Interceptor vessels will be the internal line of maritime security whereby, from the several strategically placed Coast Guard installations, they would patrol the bays, coastal areas and shore lines to 4 miles out.
In the second line of defense, these installations will be supported by the six fast patrol larger boats already in service to patrol our territorial waters from 6 miles to 12 miles from our shoreline.
These boats would be assigned to the various bases such as Galeota and Tobago and they will be on patrol in their sector only and can act as a back up to the interceptors.
The third line of defense will have a Long Range Patrol vessel, which would be 60–75 metres in length, much less costly, more maneuverable and adaptable to Trinidad and Tobago than the OPVs, which will patrol from 12 miles to 200 miles from mostly the North and East Coast.
"This would provide security for our Exclusive Economic Zone, and protect our resources in this zone, just outside our territorial waters," she said.
"The 360 degree radar will now finally become effective and useful, as any vessel entering our waters illegally can now be intercepted by such vessels."
She added that the two Augusta Westland Twin Engine multi-purpose helicopters will patrol the country's shorelines and work alongside the Coast Guard installations and the interceptor vessels.
"They will provide the powerful eyes, at day or night around our island to act as a support element for the Coast Guard in the patrolling of our borders. The Radar center would have the capability to speak to the helicopter crew and the Coast Guard vessels so that a combined effort can be made," the Prime Minister said.
"This will ensure not just a major deterrent to stop the illegal drug trade and illegal entry of weapons and immigrants, but also provide the much needed assistance that our citizens are pleading for on a daily basis when our fishermen are being attacked by pirates, to vessels and crew in distress around the coastline."
She said cost of this comprehensive security operational plan would be at least one billion dollars less than the OPVs, and still ensure greater visibility and security for the fishermen and pleasure craft users who are not presently protected and also ensure a greater deterrent for any illegal entry of vessels into Trinidad and Tobago's waters.
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