Rajnath Singh to launch Indian Navy’s Fleet Support Ship-1

In a significant demonstration of India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1), lay the keel of Fleet Support Ship-5 (FSS-5) and also inaugurate the upgraded Slipway-4 and 300-tonne Goliath Crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, the defence ministry said in New Delhi on Monday.

Giving details, officials said the upgraded Slipway-4, with its extended length and enhanced load-bearing capability, supported by the 300-tonne Goliath Crane, will enable the shipyard to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT, significantly expanding its capacity to undertake large and complex platforms.

FSS-1, the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy, will enter the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting. These 43,500-tonne vessels will replenish warships at sea, extending the Navy’s endurance and reach across the Indian Ocean Region. The keel laying of FSS-5 will mark the programme’s steady march towards series production.

The events will be attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister  N Chandrababu Naidu, Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), among others.