NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy commissioned DSC A20, the first of the five Diving Support Craft (DSC), built indigenously by M/s Titagarh Rail System Limited, during a ceremony held at Naval Base, Kochi, on Tuesday.
As per the MoD, the Craft features a catamaran hull form, the ship offers superior stability, enhanced deck area, improved seakeeping characteristics, and has a displacement of approximately 390 tons.
Fitted with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment, the vessel would play a vital role in underwater repairs & inspections, harbour clearances and critical diving missions in coastal waters.
With its induction, the Indian Navy's capability in diving support, underwater inspection, salvage assistance, and coastal operational deployment will be substantially strengthened.
As per the MoD, DSC A20 is the lead ship in a series of five Diving Support Craft being built by M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Kolkata.
Purpose-built for a wide spectrum of diving and underwater missions in coastal waters, the vessel is equipped with advanced, state-of-the-art diving systems that meet the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency.
The event was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and hosted by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), with senior naval officers, representatives of M/s Titagarh Rail System Limited, Kolkata and distinguished guests in attendance.
The contract for building five Diving Support Craft was signed between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Titagarh Rail System Limited, Kolkata, on 12 February 21.
The Hydrodynamic Analysis and Model Testing of the ship during the design stage was undertaken at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.
DSC A20 has been designed and constructed as per the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). At the time of contract signing, the Diving Support Craft was said to be "a game changer in conducting diving operations and will serve as an ideal platform for conducting training of the Indian Navy's diving cadre."
Commissioning of DSC A20 is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy's quest for indigenous shipbuilding, upholding the Government's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.
The indigenous construction of such a specialised platform in the Indian Navy stands as a testament to growing domestic capabilities, self-reliance and reducing dependency on imports.
It will be based at Kochi and operate under the Southern Naval Command.