India Is Set To Launch Its First 43,500-Tonne Fleet Support Ship To Resupply Warships At Sea

India’s maritime sector is witnessing tremendous growth, with newbuilds rolling out rapidly. This time, it is a Fleet Support Ship-1, or FSS-1, which is ready to be launched just 18 months after its steel was cut.

According to the official release, the 43,500 ton fleet support ship would help replenish warships at the high seas, thereby extending the endurance and reach of the indian naval vessels in the Indian Ocean.

The warship, which is the first in a series of five being built for the Indian Navy, will be launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who will also lay the keel of Fleet Support Ship-5, or FSS-5, and cut the ribbon of the modernised Slipway-4.

The slipway’s length has been extended and so has its load-handling capacity, which will be supported by a new Goliath crane of 300 tonnes at Visakhapatnam’s Hindustan Shipyard Ltd.

The new upgrades would allow the shipyard to construct vessels of around 45,000 DWT, increasing its capacity to build more complex, specialised and massive ships.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will also fly to Odisha to inaugurate the delivery of the 2000th aero-engine built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Designed and built by the Koraput Division over a period of 6 decades, it will greatly enhance India’s defense manufacturing and aerospace abilities.

A second manufacturing line has also been established for Shakti engines, with an investment of INR 218 crore. This would support the development of Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters and Prachand Light Combat Helicopters.

These breakthroughs highlight India’s vision to transform into a producer of defense equipment, rather than depending on foreign companies for its defense requirements.

Developing indigenous aero-engines for different platforms is a vital component of this vision, which is to make India self-reliant or ‘Atma-Nirbhar’.