Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd on Tuesday handed over INS Nirdeshak, the second of four survey vessels, to the Indian Navy.
The first ship of the class INS Sandhayak was commissioned in the Indian Navy on February 3 this year. The contract for four survey vessels (SVL) was signed on October 30, 2018.
SVL ships are designed and constructed according to classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping. The ship aims at full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port/harbour approaches and determination of navigational channels/ routes, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry said that the ship will collect oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications. The INS Nirdeshak measures a displacement of approximately 3400 tons with an overall length of 110 meters. It is equipped with highly advanced hydrographic equipment. The equipment on the ship's sophisticated machinery includes data acquisition and processing systems, autonomous underwater vehicle, remotely operated vehicle, DGPS long-range positioning systems, digital side scan sonar, etc. It is powered by two diesel engines and covered speeds over 18 knots.
The keel of the ship was laid on 01 December 2020. Launching was done on 26 May 2022. The vessels completed the full trial schedules of the harbour and sea before being delivered.
INS Nirdeshak has an indigenous content of more than 80 percent by cost. The delivery of INS Nirdeshak comes as a reassertion of the impetus that the Government of India and the Indian Navy have towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. It is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of hundreds and thousands of stakeholders, MSMEs, and the Indian industry in building the maritime prowess of the nation in the Indian Ocean Region," the ministry added.
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