To strengthen its fleet, the Indian Navy is set to commission its new survey ship, Nirdeshak.
It’s the re-embodiment of the erstwhile Nirdeshak, which served the Indian Navy for 32 years until its decommissioning on December 19, 2014.
Commissioning of new Survey Ship Nirdeshak
The ship will be commissioned on December 18, 2024, at Eastern Naval Headquarters, Visakhapatnam, in the presence of Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth. Senior naval officers and Garden Reach Shipyard Ltd representatives will attend the ceremony. Nirdeshak is the second ship of the Survey Vessel (Large) Project. The first survey ship, INS Sandhayak, was commissioned on February 3, 2024.
Design of the Indian Navy’s New Survey Ships
Under this project, GRSE is constructing four survey ships. The 110-meter-long and 16-meter-wide ships have a displacement of 3800 tonnes. They are powered by two diesel engines that can achieve a speed of 18 knots. These ships have more than 80% Indigenous content.
These ships are equipped with modern and advanced Hydrographic and Oceanographic Survey Equipment, including Deep and shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo-Sounders, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Remotely Operated Vehicles, Side scan sonars, Data Acquisition and Processing Systems, satellite-based positioning systems, and terrestrial survey equipment.
Role of the Indian Navy’s New Survey Ships
The ship’s primary role is to conduct full-scale hydrographic surveys of ports, harbors, navigational channels/routes, coastal areas, and deep seas to enable safe maritime navigation. In its secondary role, the ship can undertake various naval operations, including limited defense capabilities, HADR operations, and hospital ships in an emergency.
The Indian Navy currently operates approximately seven survey ships, outnumbered by China. Inducting new survey ships into its fleet will enhance its operational readiness and strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
The Indian Navy is rapidly modernizing its naval fleet because of the current security threats in the Indian Ocean Region, especially from China. Earlier this week, the Indian Navy commissioned a new frigate, INS Tushil, in Russia.
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