INS in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Sandhayak, the first of four next-generation undersea Survey Vessel Large (SVL) vessels, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Saturday at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The vessel has the most up-to-date equipment for reading underwater topography for submarine operations, and it can scan ocean depths of up to 11,000 feet. To enable safe marine navigation, the ship’s main function is to conduct comprehensive hydrographic surveys of ports, harbors, navigational channels, routes, coastal areas, and deep seas. The ship will be able to perform a variety of naval operations in its secondary role.
The Minister of Defence issued a warning to those involved in maritime piracy and smuggling, saying that the SVL ship will be vital in obtaining vast amounts of information about the oceans and achieving the twin objectives of protecting the country and others. He also threatened to take no more.
“The biggest threat is from pirates. Those involved in maritime piracy and smuggling will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Singh said.
Singh described the Indian Ocean as a hotspot hub for international trade and mentioned several choke points in the ocean, like the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Guinea, where a substantial amount of trade takes place. He mentioned attempted hijackings of merchant vessels in the Arabian Sea to highlight the threat of piracy when discussing the difficulties present at these choke points. The Minister praised the Indian Navy’s bravery and promptness in saving ships from incidents involving pirates.
“INS Sandhayak will further strengthen India’s role as a superpower in the Indo-Pacific region and help the Indian Navy in maintaining peace and security,” said Singh in his address. According to him, the country is marching ahead on the path of development with a more than ever strong Navy, providing security in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region as the first responder.
The first of four of these vessels being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, is called INS Sandhayak. The Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau oversaw this project. The ship was launched on December 5, 2021, after the keel was laid on March 12, 2019. Prior to commissioning, a thorough program of trials in the harbor and at sea was completed. With a displacement of 3,400 tons, it is 110 meters long and 16 meters wide. It is outfitted with cutting edge hydrographic technology, such as autonomous underwater vehicles and multibeam echo sounders for both shallow and deep waters.
INS Sandhayak, which has eighty percent indigenous content, also includes side scan sonars, a data acquisition and processing system, a remotely operated vehicle, and other advanced features. Speaking at the event, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said that the SVL project demonstrates the growing significance that the government and the Navy place on the essential precondition for conducting operations at sea, which is a survey of the oceans’ unfathomable depths. Its introduction highlights the country’s expanding maritime capabilities and interests.
