New Delhi, October 5: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1), the first of five fleet support ships being built for the Indian Navy, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, 6 October, the Ministry of Defence said.
The 43,500-tonne fleet support ships will refuel and resupply warships at sea, allowing the Navy to operate for longer and further across the Indian Ocean Region. According to the ministry, FSS-1 will enter the waters of the Bay of Bengal 18 months after its steel was cut.
Keel of fifth ship, bigger slipway
At the same event, Singh will lay the keel of the fifth ship, FSS-5. The ministry said this marks the programme’s move towards series production.
He will also open the shipyard’s upgraded Slipway-4 and a new 300-tonne Goliath crane. The slipway has been lengthened and can now carry heavier loads. With the crane, it will allow Hindustan Shipyard to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT), so that it can take on larger and more complex platforms.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar will attend.
HAL Koraput’s 2,000th aero-engine
On the same day, Singh will mark the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at its Koraput division in Odisha. The ministry said the event marks nearly six decades of the division’s work in aerospace and defence manufacturing.
HAL is setting up a second production line for Shakti engines at an investment of ₹218 crore. The extra capacity is meant to meet growing demand from indigenous helicopters, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter.
The ministry described the work as part of the government’s aim of “transforming India from a buyer of defence equipment into a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems”, and said building aero-engines at home matters because of the strategic importance and technical complexity of propulsion systems.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Sanjeev Kumar and HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K will attend the Koraput event.
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