E-Paper
India launches second indigenous survey ship INS Nirdeshak
INS Nirdeshak derives its name from a past survey ship of the same name, which was built by the GRSE in 1983 and served in the Indian Navy before being decommissioned in 2014.
INS Nirdeshak, the second of the four survey vessels built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, was launched in Kattupalli near Chennai. The first ship INS Sandhayak was launched in Kolkata on December 5 last year. The ship was launched by Sarbani Dasgupta, wife of Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
INS Nirdeshak derives its name from a past survey ship of the same name, which was built by the GRSE in 1983 and served in the Indian Navy before being decommissioned in 2014. The latest series of large survey vessels built by the GRSE are far more advanced as compared to the earlier ships in the naval fleet, the company said in a statement.
The indigenously developed 110-metres long and 16-metres wide ships have a displacement of nearly 3,400 tonnes and can attain a top speed of 18 knots with an endurance of 6,500 nautical miles.
“The newer ship ‘Nirdeshak’ will be more capable, larger, modern, state-of-the-art with advanced propulsion and maneuvering and will be able to operate autonomous and remotely operated systems. The ship’s ability to perform full spectrum of hydrographic and oceanographic operations of the Indian Navy will make us even more potent and foreign navies are looking to the Indian Navy for the hydrographic co-operation," Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, who was the chief guest of the occasion, said.
“The vessel has achieved 80% of Indigenization by cost which is a significant achievement for Indian shipbuilding,” he applauded the efforts of Indian shipyards and highlighted the shipbuilding opportunities ahead with 31 ships to be constructed in the coming years by the Indian Navy.
Commodore PR Hari (Retd), chairman and managing director of GRSE, highlighted the capabilities of these survey ships. These survey ships are capable of full scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port and harbour approaches and determination of navigation channels and routes. They can also carry out survey of maritime limits and collect oceanographic and geographic data for defence applications.
