Rajnath Singh to launch navy’s first fleet support ship, marking boost to indigenous shipbuilding

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch the Indian Navy’s first Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1) at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, on October 6, while also laying the keel of the fifth and final ship of the series and inaugurating an upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath crane. The developments mark a major expansion of HSL’s capacity to build large and complex naval platforms.

Follow Defence Watch on LinkedIN

FSS-1 is the first of five 43,500-tonne Fleet Support Ships being built by HSL for the Indian Navy. The ship will enter the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting. The vessels are designed to replenish deployed warships with fuel, water, ammunition and stores, allowing the fleet to remain at sea for longer periods and extending its operational reach across the Indian Ocean Region.

The keel-laying of FSS-5 will mark the programme’s progression towards series production. The Navy had contracted HSL in August 2023 to build all five ships, with deliveries originally scheduled to commence from mid-2027. The programme uses an indigenous design and sources the majority of equipment from Indian manufacturers, supporting the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India objectives.

Follow Defence Watch on Whatsapp channel

The upgraded Slipway-4, with greater length and load-bearing capacity, combined with the 300-tonne Goliath crane, will enable HSL to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT). The expanded infrastructure will significantly increase the yard’s ability to undertake large naval and commercial platforms.

The FSS programme is particularly important for India’s blue-water ambitions because fleet support vessels provide the logistical backbone for sustained naval deployments far from home ports. Alongside strengthening the Navy’s endurance, the programme is also helping build domestic shipbuilding capacity for increasingly large and complex platforms, reinforcing India’s broader push to develop an indigenous maritime industrial base.

Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)