Rajnath Singh launches Navy's first indigenous fleet support ship 'Surya'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Visakhapatnam on Monday evening to oversee the launch of the Indian Navy's first Fleet Support Ship (FSS) at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Tuesday. During the visit, Singh will inaugurate the upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath crane, launch the first FSS, and preside over the keel-laying of another Fleet Support Ship. He was received by district collector M. Abhishik Kishore and commissioner of police Dr Sankhabrata Bagchi.
The vessels, weighing more than 40,000 tonnes, are designed to replenish naval ships deployed at sea with fuel, water, ammunition and other stores, enabling them to remain at sea for longer periods without returning to harbour. They will also have secondary roles in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and non-combatant evacuation operations. HSL is executing the Indian Navy's contract for five indigenous FSS vessels. The first FSS was keel-laid at HSL in November 2024, while steel cutting for the fifth and final ship was completed in May 2026.
The FSS programme is aimed at strengthening the Navy's blue-water operational capabilities and indigenous shipbuilding. The vessels feature indigenous design and majority indigenous equipment sourcing, in line with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will accompany the Defence Minister during the event.
