Rajnath Singh to launch first Fleet Support Ship, lay keel of fifth vessel at Visakhapatnam
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New Delhi, Oct 5 — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will on Tuesday launch the Indian Navy’s first Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1), lay the keel of the fifth vessel in the series and inaugurate an upgraded slipway and a 300-tonne Goliath crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam.
The events are expected to mark a major step in strengthening India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities and expanding infrastructure for the construction of large naval platforms.
The upgraded Slipway-4, with extended length and enhanced load-bearing capacity, along with the new 300-tonne Goliath crane, will enable HSL to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT). The facilities are expected to improve the shipyard’s capacity to undertake larger and more complex vessel projects.
FSS-1 is the first of five Fleet Support Ships being constructed for the Indian Navy. Each vessel has a displacement of about 43,500 tonnes and is designed to provide replenishment support to naval warships at sea, enabling them to remain deployed for extended periods without returning to port for essential supplies.
The launch of FSS-1 comes just 18 months after the commencement of steel cutting, highlighting the pace of construction under the programme. The ships are expected to enhance the Navy’s operational endurance and reach across the Indian Ocean Region.
The keel laying of FSS-5 will mark another milestone in the programme and signal the transition towards series production of the Fleet Support Ships.
Indigenous fleet support vessels are particularly important for sustaining prolonged maritime operations. These ships can provide fuel, water, ammunition, provisions and other essential supplies to deployed warships, allowing them to operate at greater distances from their home ports.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, among other senior officials, are expected to attend the events.
The launch of FSS-1 and the inauguration of upgraded infrastructure at HSL are expected to underscore the government's focus on strengthening domestic shipbuilding capabilities and enhancing Indian shipyards’ capacity to construct large and technologically advanced vessels.
