The ‘INS Surya’ is the first fleet supply vessel to have been certified by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). On the same day, the keel was laid for another vessel.
With this certification, the IRS is further expanding its role in supporting the Indian Navy in shipbuilding. The company stated that it is now in a position to undertake larger, more complex and technologically advanced naval platforms.
The “INS Surya”, which has now been launched at the Hindustan Shipyard group in Visakhapatnam in western India, is a Fleet Support Ship (FSS) for the Navy. The new vessel is 224 metres long and has a displacement of 43,000 tonnes. On the same day, the shipyard celebrated the keel-laying of what is now the fifth FSS being built as part of a programme for the Indian Navy.
According to the IRS, the fleet support ships are intended to increase the Indian Navy’s operational range and endurance. They are designed to provide comprehensive logistical support, including the simultaneous resupply of several naval vessels at sea, thereby enabling sustained naval operations over extended periods.
Further evidence of the IRS’s expertise in the certification of complex naval platforms is the keel-laying of the first vessel under the Indian Navy’s “Next Generation Missile Vessel” (NGMV) project at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, south-east India. “The NGMVs are designed for deployment in the challenging maritime environment of the Indian Ocean and will be equipped with state-of-the-art weapon and sensor systems,” the IRS stated. “This significantly strengthens the Indian Navy’s combat capability and supports its vision of a future-ready and combat-ready force.”
Indian shipbuilding is growing
In addition, the “INS Nipun” – the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV), also built under IRS certification – was commissioned as a further complex naval vessel. These vessels are designed to support submarine rescue operations at depths of up to 300 metres and to significantly improve the Navy’s response capability in underwater emergencies. Equipped with specialised diving systems, dynamic positioning, and integrated life-support systems and medical facilities, the vessels are designed to enable sustained and complex underwater operations at sea.
“These milestones underscore the IRS’s growing technical capabilities and its contribution to India’s naval shipbuilding ecosystem,” said Commander KK Dhawan of the IRS. “This supports the Indian Navy in the independent development and introduction of advanced platforms to strengthen operational capability and maritime security.”
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has set itself the goal of becoming one of the world’s leading maritime nations. This is to be achieved as part of ‘Vision 2047’, amongst other things through major investments in shipbuilding, the establishment of its own state-owned container shipping line and new partnerships, for example with companies such as HD Hyundai and DP World.
