India launches first Fleet Support Ship Surya

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the first Fleet Support Ship being built for the Indian Navy was launched at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam on October 6, alongside the keel-laying of another support ship and the inauguration of upgraded shipyard facilities. The first vessel was named Surya, according to Singh’s remarks at the event. The programme also included the keel-laying for the fifth Fleet Support Ship and the opening of an upgraded Slipway 4 and a 300-tonne Goliath crane. Advance accounts had listed these activities as planned for the minister’s visit. The supplied post-event account attributes their completion to Singh’s statement, and does not provide separate confirmation of each activity. The five-ship programme is being built for the Indian Navy at HSL. Fleet Support Ships are intended to replenish naval vessels at sea, helping them remain deployed without returning to port for supplies. One account lists fuel, water, ammunition and other stores among the supplies the ships are designed to carry. Another describes humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and evacuation as secondary roles.