What is INS Sandhayak, Indian Navy's latest survey vessel to join naval force?

INS Sandhayak is re-incarnated in its present avatar from erstwhile Sandhayak - Indian Navy's oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel that was decommissioned in 2021.

Updated on: Feb 3, 2024, 11:24:46 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Indian Navy commissioned its latest survey vessel, Sandhayak, at Naval Dockyard in Vizag on Saturday in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh, along with Admiral R Hari Kumar, the chief of the naval staff.

INS Sandhayak was commissioned into the Indian Navy. (Indian Navy)

What is INS Sandhayak?

• INS Sandhayak is the first in a series of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships being constructed at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

• The primary purpose of the ship is to conduct comprehensive coastal and deep-water Hydrographic Surveys for Port and Harbour approaches, as well as determining navigational channels and routes.

• The operational zone extends up to maritime limits, covering the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf.

• Additionally, the vessel is equipped to gather oceanographic and geophysical data, serving both defence and civil applications.

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• In its secondary role, the ship can offer limited defence capabilities and serve as a hospital ship during wartime or emergencies.

• Sandhayak is equipped with cutting-edge hydrographic tools, including a Data Acquisition and Processing System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle, DGPS Long-range positioning systems, and Digital side-scan sonar.

• Powered by two diesel engines, the vessel boasts a speed capability exceeding 18 knots.

• Measuring 110 meters in length and displacing 3400 tons, INS Sandhayak has an indigenous content of over 80 per cent by cost.

• This ship is re-incarnated in its present avatar from erstwhile Sandhayak, which was decommissioned in 2021.

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INS Sandhayak video here

INS Sandhayak, Navy's oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel

The INS Sandhayak, the Indian Navy's oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel, was decommissioned on June 4, 2021, concluding 40 years of dedicated service to the nation.

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Over its 40 years of service in the Indian Navy, INS Sandhayak conducted more than 200 major hydrographic surveys along the Western and Eastern coasts of the Indian peninsula, the Andaman Sea, and in neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

The vessel played a vital role in significant operations, including Op Pawan in Sri Lanka in 1987, Op Rainbow for humanitarian assistance following the Tsunami in 2004, and the inaugural Indo-US HADR Exercise Tiger-Triumph in 2019.

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HT News Desk
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