India launched Surya, the first vessel in its domestically built Fleet Support Ship programme, at Visakhapatnam on 6 October. The ships are designed to replenish naval vessels at sea. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also marked construction and shipyard infrastructure milestones at the ceremony. The launch precedes operational service; no deployment schedule was announced.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Surya on 6 October at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, a shipbuilder in Visakhapatnam on India’s Bay of Bengal coast. It is the first vessel in the domestically built Fleet Support Ship programme. At the same ceremony, Singh marked the start of the fifth vessel’s construction by laying its keel.[1], [2]
Fleet Support Ships are designed to supply fuel, provisions and other assistance to naval vessels while they are at sea. That support allows warships to remain deployed longer before returning to port. Surya was designed and built in India and carries cargo and liquid storage, a maintenance workshop, a helicopter deck and self-defence equipment.[1]
The ceremony also opened an upgraded slipway and a 300-tonne crane. The enlarged and strengthened slipway is intended to let the yard build and launch ships with up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes of carrying capacity. L&T Geostructure and Konecranes designed and manufactured the crane under the Make in India programme.[1]
Singh called for closer cooperation between the Navy, the shipyard, research organisations, universities and smaller businesses in Visakhapatnam. He urged shipbuilders to compete internationally on quality, cost, technology, delivery and reliability. No schedule for Surya’s operational deployment was announced at the launch.[1]
