Construction of first Fleet Support Ship commences at Vizag
The Indian Navy will be provided with five Fleet Support Ships by 2032. These ships will have a displacement of 45000 tonnes with a lengthy of 230 mtrs. They will have a cruising speed of 28 km/h with a maximum speed of 20 knots or 37 km/h. The operating will be around 22,000 km. The ships will be equipped with state of the art refuelling facility and a hangar which can accommodate one Dhruv helicopter.
These ship will be able to achieve pumping rates up to 2400 TPH. The vessel will also be able to carry ammunition and victualing stores for the fleet. The ship would be equipped with weapons like anti-ship, anti-submarine and CIWS systems.
The Government of India had cleared the project for a cost of ₹20,000 Crore on 16 August 2023. The final contract for the five fleet support ship was signed on 25 August 2023. The first ship will be delivered in 4 years from the date of signing of the contract and subsequent ships will be delivered at 10 – 12 months interval. The total project completion timeline is 8 years.
The ‘Steel Cutting’ ceremony of the first of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) was held at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam on Wednesday 10 Apr 24. The Western Fleet is likely to get the first ship by mid 2027.
The ceremony was presided over by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, CMD, HSL Commander Hemant Khatri (Retd) and other senior officials from the Indian Navy and HSL were present for the occasion.
On induction, the Fleet Support Ships will bolster the ‘Blue Water’ capabilities of the Indian Navy through replenishment of fleet ships at sea. By mid 2028 it will be the turn of the Eastern Fleet to get the next Ship and subsequently the Southern Naval Command and the Andaman Command. The fifth ship will be at the disposal of the HQ Maritime Theatre.
The ships, with more than 40,000 tonnes displacement will carry and deliver fuel, water, ammunition and stores enabling prolonged operations without returning to the harbour, thus enhancing the Fleet’s strategic reach and mobility.
In a secondary role, these ships would be equipped for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief operations for evacuation of personnel in emergencies and quick delivery of relief material at the site during natural calamities.
With a completely indigenous design and sourcing of the majority of the equipment from indigenous manufacturers, this shipbuilding project will boost the Indian Shipbuilding Industry and align with GoI initiatives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and “Make in India, Make for the World”.
Now the Navy must start planning for a 20000 tonne Flottila Support Ships too and we will be needing around 12 to 15 of these ships.
