The state police will get bulletproof, radar and global positioning system-fitted boats in three months to guard the 720-km coastline, with a Raigad-based ship designing, building and manufacturing company being selected to deliver them. The company, Marine Frontiers Private Ltd of Dharamtar, will also be responsible for the after-sale support and maintenance.

Home Department officials said in the first phase, 29 boats will be delivered within three months, at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. Of these, 23 will be 9.5 metres long and the rest 12 metres long. The smaller boats can remain in the high seas for 10 to 12 hours while the larger ones can stay longer.

The state government had announced the introduction of new high-speed armed boats using the Rs 126-crore modernisation fund allocated to the home department after the 26/11 attacks. “The state government has cleared the proposal for new boats. The orders will be placed in a day or two. Initially, there were some delays. The Navy and Coast Guard had given their technical guidance,” said Chandra Iyengar, additional chief secretary, Home.

“One of the main criteria was to have an Indian or a company based in Maharashtra to ensure post-delivery maintenance needs. The company has provided boats to the Hong Kong police and we held several trial runs before selecting them,” a senior official said.

The state is also set to receive two boats under the Coastal Policing plan of the Union Government and this is expected to boost security on the state’s coast, through which the 26/11 attackers had entered Mumbai.