21-06-2025
Indian Navy holds ‘Steel Cutting' ceremony for fourth Fleet Support Ship at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam
'Steel Cutting' ceremony of fourth of the five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) was held at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in the presence of Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, as the chief guest, according to a release here on Saturday.
Vice-admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, and commodore Hemant Khatri, CMD, HSL, and other senior officials from Navy and HSL were present.
The Navy had signed a contract with HSL for acquisition of five FSS in August 2023, with delivery commencing mid-2027.
On induction, the FSS will bolster the 'Blue Water' capabilities of the Indian Navy through replenishment of Fleet ships at sea. The ships, with a displacement of more than 40,000 tons, will deliver fuel, water, ammunition and stores enabling prolonged deployments of the Fleet Ships, thereby enhancing the Fleet's strategic reach and mobility. In their secondary role, these ships would be equipped for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) for expeditious delivery of relief material and evacuation of personnel.
With a completely indigenous design and sourcing of majority of the equipment from indigenous manufacturers, the FSS project will boost the Indian Shipbuilding Industry in consonance with the Union government's initiatives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Make for the World.
