A Steel Cutting ceremony of first of the five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) was held at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam on 10 April, in presence of Shri Giridhar Aramane, Defence Secretary. Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Commodore Hemant Khatri (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, HSL and other senior officials from Indian Navy and HSL were present for the occasion.
Contract with HSL for acquisition of five Fleet Support Ships was signed in August 2023 and the ships are scheduled to be delivered to the Indian Navy, commencing mid-2027. On induction, the Fleet Support Ships will bolster the ‘Blue Water’ capabilities of the Indian Navy through replenishment of fleet ships at sea.
The ships, with 45,000 tonnes displacement and a speed of 20 knots will carry and deliver fuel, water, ammunition and stores. In secondary role, these ships would be equipped for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief operations for evacuation of personnel in emergency situations and quick delivery of relief material.
The new class is an indigenous design and sourcing of majority of the equipment from indigenous manufacturers, this shipbuilding project will boost the Indian Shipbuilding Industry and is in consonance with GoI initiatives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Make for the World.
Cmde Hemant Khatri expressed deep gratitude to the Defence Secretary for his key role in HSL’s revival, underscoring its significance as one of the country’s largest shipyards and a national asset. He underlined the importance of construction of FSS as it provides business to nearly 550 companies in and around Visakhapatnam and employment opportunities to over 3000 personnel.
At HSL there is ongoing infrastructure upgrades, including the installation of a cutting-edge 300 tonne Goliath crane and slipway upgrades, will further enhance HSL’s capacity to undertake FSS and future projects like the Landing Platform Dock, reinforcing it’s role in meeting the defence and commercial sector requirements under Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The CMD of HSL emphasized HSL’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration, showcasingIndia’s shipbuilding prowess.
Sources: IN & HSL
