NewsGate Press Network

Indian Navy has received its latest large Survey Vessel for deep water hydrographic mapping specially designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders of Kolkata.

According to details issued by Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday the 8th of October 2024, Nirdeshak (Yard 3026), is the second of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships.

The first ship of the class, INS Sandhayak, was commissioned on 03 Feb 24.  The contract for four Survey Vessels (SVL) was signed on 30 Oct 18.

The SVL ships are designed and built as per classification rules of Indian Register of Shipping by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

This delivery comes 10 months after the first ship of the series, INS Sandhayak, was delivered to the Indian Navy on December 4, 2023. These are the largest survey vessels for the Indian Navy to be built in India.

The relationship between GRSE and the Indian Navy goes back 63 years to 1961 when the shipyard delivered the first indigenously built warship INS Ajay. Since then, GRSE has delivered 71 more warships to the Indian Navy, which is a record.

The ship aims at full scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port/ harbour approaches and determination of navigational channels/ routes.

The ship will also collect oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications.

With a displacement of about 3400 tons and overall length of 110 meters, Nirdeshak is fitted with state-of-the art hydrographic equipment such as data acquisition and processing system, autonomous underwater vehicle, remotely operated vehicle, DGPS long range positioning systems, digital side scan sonar, etc.

Powered by two diesel engines, the ship can achieve speeds in excess of 18 knots.

The keel of the ship was laid on 01 Dec 20 and the ship was launched on 26 May 22.

The ship has undergone a comprehensive schedule of trials in harbour and at sea prior to its delivery.

Nirdeshak has an indigenous content of over 80% by cost.