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Navy adds Ikshak, a state-of-the-art warship for surveys and coastal missions
The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) delivered to the Indian navy yet another warship, 'Ikshak', on Thursday, August 14, 2025. The delivery underscored once again the shipyard's ability to build and deliver advanced warships.'Ikshak' – the name stands for 'Guide' – is the third in a series of four Survey Vessels (Large) being built by the GRSE. The second ship of this class, INS Nirdeshak, was delivered on October 8, 2024, while the first one, INS Sandhayak, was handed over to the Navy on December 4, delivery comes less than a month after the GRSE handed over 'Himgiri', an advanced guided missile frigate, to the Navy.
Incidentally, the Sandhayak-class of Survey Vessels (Large), or SVLs, including the Ikshak, are also the largest platforms of their kind to be built in India and operated by the Ikshak is the 802nd ship and the 113th warship to be built by GRSE. Furthermore, it is the 75th warship to be delivered to the navy. No other shipyard in India has achieved this relationship between GRSE and the Indian navy goes back 64 years to 1961 when the shipyard delivered the first indigenous warship, INS Ajay. Since then, 74 more warships have been added to the list, helping the Navy advance from a 'buyer' to a 'builder'. This is in keeping with the government's Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) 110-metre-long Ikshak will join INS Sandhayak and INS Nirdeshak after being commissioned and will keep the Navy supplied with vital survey data which is crucial for operational purposes. The maps and charts prepared on the basis of this survey data are also used for commercial advanced equipment on board, the SVLs of this class are capable of full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port and harbour approaches as well as determining navigational channels and routes. In addition, these SVLs can undertake surveys of maritime limits and collect oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications, adding muscle to India's maritime ships can each carry a helicopter, participate in low-intensity combat and function as hospital ships, making them perfect for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) by two marine diesel engines combined with fixed-pitch propellers and fitted with bow and stern thrusters to help the ships manoeuvre at low speeds during surveys, they are ideally suited to carrying out their designated operations. Fully designed by GRSE to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy, Ikshak was built using 'Integrated Construction' technology. This was in compliance with applicable provisions and regulations of the Classification Society (IRS).advertisementThis prestigious warship was accepted on behalf of the Indian Navy by Commodore Arvind is now building 14 more warships for the Navy, including two P17A advanced guided missile frigates, one SVL, seven anti-submarine warfare shallow water crafts and four next-generation offshore patrol vessels.- Ends
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