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Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
All about INS Nipun and how it will help save lives in deep sea
The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned INS Nistar at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Indigenously designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Nistar is the first of two diving support vessels (DSVs) that were ordered by the Navy in 2018. Its sister ship, Nipun, was launched in 2022, and is expected to be commissioned in the near future. Meant to support deep-sea diving and submarine rescue operations, these DSVs will enhance India's operational preparedness in the underwater domain and reinforce the country's strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Navy said. The original INS Nistar was a submarine rescue vessel acquired by the Indian Navy from the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1969, and commissioned in 1971. It remained in service till 1989, during which time it was the centrepiece of the Navy's diving and submarine rescue operations. The new Nistar will carry forward this legacy. But unlike its predecessor, it comprises more than 80% indigenous content, with about 120 MSMEs having participated in its construction. This makes Nistar the first indigenously designed and constructed diving support and submarine rescue vessel in India. 'Nistar is testimony to the growing capability and maturity of our maritime industrial base, and another shining example of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,' Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said during the commissioning ceremony. With a displacement of around 10,500 tonnes, length of almost 120 metres, beam of more than 20 metres, and an endurance of more than 60 days at sea, the new Nistar is also larger and more capable than its 800-tonne predecessor. According to the Navy, Nistar's specialised onboard diving complex has both air and saturation diving systems, which are complemented by underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and side scan SONARs. Moreover, Nistar will be the mothership of an advanced deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV). The Indian Navy acquired two DSRVs from the UK's M/s James Fisher & Sons in 2018 and 2019 — one each for Nistar and Nipun. Nistar can also carry a 15-tonne subsea crane, and support helicopter operations. Aboard Nistar is an operation theatre, an intensive care unit, and an eight-bedded hospital with hyperbaric medical facilities, all critical towards meeting the vessel's operational roles, the Navy said. The induction of Nistar into the Navy after the successful integration of the two DSRVs is a major milestone for India's deep-sea capabilities. With the Navy continuing to expand its submarine arm, it has to reckon with increased operational risks of operating in the deep sea. These risks demand a technologically capable platform for submarine rescue operations — the primary mandate of the Nistar-class vessels. Officials told The Indian Express that Nistar is built to be both a diving support and a submarine rescue vessel, making it a strategic platform which strengthens India's position as a net maritime security provider within the IOR and beyond. With the induction of the two DSRVs in 2018-19, India entered a groupd of only 12 nations with these dedicated capabilities, and one of the very few possessing DSRVs that can be requisitioned by another country and airlifted for rapid international deployment during emergencies. Until now, however, the Navy relied on commercially leased platforms for the deployment of DSRVs, limiting its instant-deployment capabilities and round-the-clock rescue readiness. Nistar (and Nipun) will change this. The vessel's dynamic positioning and diving support features mean that the vessel can operate autonomously in the high seas. Officials said that its high transit speed ensures rapid deployment during emergencies, drastically reducing response time in scenarios where every minute counts. Based in Visakhapatnam, Nistar will serve as the DSRV mothership in the Eastern Seaboard, and Nipun, based in Mumbai, will serve in the Western Seaboard, completing the Navy's dual-coast operational posture. This arrangement guarantees simultaneous, high-readiness submarine rescue coverage across both maritime frontiers. This strategic capability would be particularly crucial in various maritime humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations carried out by the Navy. Through bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding with other navies, India has committed to sharing its submarine rescue expertise, and providing actual rescue support during emergencies world wide. 'It positions India as a credible first responder in undersea contingencies and amplifies its soft power through the projection of maritime goodwill,' an official told The Indian Express. The officer added that the development sends a signal that India's growing naval capabilities are aligned with the shared security interests of its partners and neighbours. 'In a world where underwater operations are becoming more complex and risks more unpredictable, INS Nistar ensures that India not only safeguards its own interests but is also ready and equipped to serve the greater good of global maritime safety,' the official said.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Indian Navy commissions indigenous Diving Support Vessel to boost underwater operations
NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned first of its kind ship, an indigenously built Diving Support Vessel (DSV) which will be reinforcing its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam in the presence of the MoS (Def) Sanjay Seth. DSV has been indigenously designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam. On commissioning, the ship will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations. Main roles of the vessel include undertaking deep sea diving and conducting rescue operations from distressed submarines. The commissioning of Nistar and its induction into the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command will not only enhance India's operational preparedness in the underwater domain, but will also reinforce its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region. The approx Rs 2,400 cr project of two Diving Support Vessels (Nistar & Nipun) were launched in September 2022. TNIE earlier reported the exhaustive list of Capital Ship and Submarine projects of the Indian Navy, which included these two DSVs. It included 61 warships which are under various stages of construction. Various projects for construction of 17 warships and nine Submarines are under the advanced stages of approvals.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Indian Navy to commission first indigenous Diving Support Vessel Nistar to boost submarine support operations
The Indian Navy is all set to commission its first indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) Nistar, which will significantly boost its submarine support operations, at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on July 18 in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The ship has been indigenously designed and constructed by state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited and will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations. DSVs are specialised naval platforms equipped with an array of complex diving support systems and Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV). These ships will be deployed for deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations. Furthermore, the ships will be capable of conducting search and rescue operations and carrying out helicopter operations at sea. Nistar is the first ship of two-member class of DSVs, the second being Nipun. The Indian Navy has said in an X post, 'The name of the ship 'Nistar' in Sanskrit translates to rendering rescue. The crest depicts an 'anchor' which traditionally symbolises reliability and faith. While the 'dolphin' is universally regarded as a seafarer's friend and a harbinger of fair weather.' The ship was delivered to the Navy on July 8 and is set to be commissioned on July 18. A press statement from the Ministry of Defence read, 'The ship is a testament to the Government of India 's resolute focus on nation-building through self-reliance in defence production and unwavering focus on Aatmanirbharta. A total of 120 MSMEs have participated in the construction of this ambitious, unique and state-of-the-art vessel, achieving more than 80 per cent indigenous content. The project is a step towards realising the Indian Navy's vision of designing and constructing complex indigenous platforms.' In her earlier avatar, INS Nistar was a submarine rescue vessel which was acquired by the Indian Navy from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and was commissioned in 1971. In two decades of service, she had significantly contributed towards the Indian Navy's diving and submarine rescue operations. The erstwhile INS Nistar was decommissioned in 1989. With the commissioning of the new INS Nistar, the legacy of earlier INS Nistar continues, with her motto 'Surakshita Yatharthta Shauryam' translating to 'Deliverance with Precision and Bravery', reflecting the main roles of the ship, the MoD has said. With a length of approximately 120 metres and displacement of more than 10,000 tonnes, the DSV has the capacity to maintain its position with extreme accuracy, using a dynamic positioning system. The expansive diving complex onboard which consists of both air and saturation diving systems, along with underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and side scan SONAR, substantially enhances the operational envelope of the vessel. As the 'Mother Ship' for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), the induction of this platform would provide a major capability enhancement to the Indian Navy's Submarine rescue preparedness. The ship is also outfitted with a fully equipped Operation Theatre (OT) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) along with an eight-bedded hospital and hyperbaric medical facilities which are critical towards meeting her operational roles. Endurance of over 60 days at sea, capacity to undertake stage through helicopter operations and a 15-ton subsea crane make the ship a very versatile platform. 'The commissioning of Nistar and its induction into the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command will not only enhance India's operational preparedness in the underwater domain but will also reinforce its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region,' the MoD has said. In addition to operating submarines to secure the waters, the Indian Navy undertakes diving operations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to facilitate various activities such as submarine rescue, underwater inspection, testing or salvage, and recovery of objects, ships or aircraft lost at sea. As these activities involve diving operations with divers remaining underwater for prolonged durations, these tasks require suitable platforms for the launch and recovery along with carriage of related tools and equipment. The Navy has said that these ships will be capable of sustained patrolling, conducting search and rescue operations and carrying out Helicopter Operations at high seas. Officials said that while a submarine is a significant strategic asset, it is also vulnerable to action damage, requiring extensive diving for undertaking Search and Rescue (SAR) operations that demand the availability of a credible and suitably equipped platform. Induction of DSVs equipped with DSRV would be key to enhancing the Navy's capability and reach of submarine rescue operations in the Indian Ocean Region. Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010. Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune. Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More
