Navy commissions next-gen survey ship

The Indian Navy today commissioned INS Nirdeshak, a next-generation survey ship designed for mapping underwater terrain. The data gathered will aid warships, submarines and autonomous underwater vessels.

The commissioning ceremony took place at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. INS Nirdeshak is the second vessel of the Survey Vessel (Large) project, which envisions a total of four ships. The first vessel, INS Sandhayak, has already been inducted into the Navy.

The Rs 2,435 crore contract to build these ships was awarded to Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, in 2018. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, the ships feature 80 per cent indigenous content, with contributions from the Steel Authority of India Limited, MSMEs and private industry partners.

INS Nirdeshak boasts advanced operational capabilities, an endurance of 25 days at sea, and a top speed exceeding 18 knots. The vessel’s commissioning represents a significant step in modernising the Navy’s hydrographic fleet and supports India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.

The ship is part of the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department’s seven-vessel fleet, tasked with producing official electronic navigational charts for Indian waters. It also supports capacity-building efforts in the Indian Ocean Region by training personnel from various countries. The department has also signed MoUs with various countries for surveying their waters as part of international cooperation.