The inaugural ‘Steel Cutting’ event for India’s first five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) took place at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam on 10 April 2024. The Defence Secretary of India, Giridhar Aramane, IAS, officiated the ceremony. Other attendees included Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, who is the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Cmde Hemant Khatri (Retd), the Chief Managing Director of HSL, and other high-ranking officials from the Indian Navy and HSL. The Fleet Support Ships will be the first-of-their kind to be built in India, by an Indian Shipyard.
In August 2023, a contract was signed with HSL for the procurement of five Fleet Support Ships for the Indian Navy at an approximate overall cost of Rs 19,000 crore. The intention was to provide a major boost in the direction of achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the acquisition of these ships on 16 August 2023.
These ships are slated for delivery to the Indian Navy starting from mid-2027. Once commissioned, these Fleet Support Ships will enhance the Indian Navy’s ‘Blue Water’ capabilities by resupplying fleet ships at sea. With a displacement of over 40,000 tonnes, these ships will transport and deliver fuel, water, ammunition, and stores. This will enable prolonged operations of the ships without the need to return to the harbour, thereby increasing the Fleet’s strategic reach and mobility.
In addition to their primary role, these ships will also be equipped for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. They will be capable of evacuating personnel in emergencies and swiftly delivering relief materials to sites during natural disasters.
This shipbuilding project, with its entirely indigenous design, will give a significant boost to the Indian Shipbuilding Industry. Additionally, most of its equipment will be sourced from local manufacturers. The Steel Cutting ceremony of the first five Indian Fleet Support Ships also embodies the Indian Government’s initiatives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and “Make in India, Make for the World”.