India

Rajnath Singh Launches India’s First Indigenous Fleet Support Ship Surya

By Rahul Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Surya, India’s first indigenous fleet support ship (FSS), on Tuesday at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. The launch is part of a ₹19,000‑crore programme to build five FSS vessels that will extend the navy’s reach and endurance. Singh said India needs strong maritime capability and aims to move beyond self‑reliance to become a global maritime power. Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was present.

During the ceremony, Singh also laid the keel of another fleet support ship, inaugurated an upgraded slipway and a 300‑tonne crane at the public‑sector yard. The defence ministry said the milestone strengthens HSL’s capacity to build larger and more complex ships and advances India’s maritime capability. HSL is expected to deliver Surya to the navy next year, with the remaining vessels to follow at a rate of one every ten months.

The fleet support vessels, 225 metres long and 32 metres wide, will replenish warships at sea with fuel, water, ammunition and stores, allowing the naval fleet to operate for longer periods without returning to harbour. Singh described the launch of FSS‑1 (Surya) as a symbol of achievement, the keel laying of FSS‑5 as a symbol of resolve, and the new slipway as a symbol of growing capability. He added that the goal should be to design better, build faster, and deliver on time.

The navy currently operates four fleet support vessels commissioned between 1996 and 2011 and needs more to meet growing replenishment needs amid fleet expansion and increased responsibilities in the Indian Ocean region. Singh said self‑reliance is an important milestone but global competitiveness is the next leap, urging Indian shipyards to meet global benchmarks on quality, cost, technology, delivery and reliability. The navy aims for full self‑reliance by 2047, the year India will celebrate 100 years of independence.

The slipway‑4 has been extended and strengthened to enable HSL to build and launch ships of up to 45,000 DWT. The 300‑tonne Goliath crane spanning slipways 3 and 4 will allow faster and more precise handling of heavier blocks for modern block construction. The ministry said the new infrastructure will strengthen HSL’s ability to undertake larger and more complex shipbuilding programmes and support modern block construction.