As a result of the cooperative efforts of Indian Navy and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), a major military shipyard on the east coast and a leading warship building company of India, the first indigenously built Survey Vessel “Sandhayak” was launched in the presence of the Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt and his wife on Sunday.
The vessel was launched officially by Pushpa Bhatt, wife of Ajay Bhatt. Per Indian Navy custom, “Sandhayak” is the first in the series of four ships under the Survey Vessel (Large) project for the Indian Navy, they are designed to enhance the oceanographic capability of the Indian Navy.
During the launch ceremony, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, Rear Admiral V.K. Saxena (Retd.), Chairman and Managing, GRSE, and other senior officials of the GRSE, Indian Armed Forces, and Industry were present at the occasion to witness the program.
In accordance with the technical requirements, these ocean survey vessels are designed for all-around coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of Ports & Harbour waters & the ability to conduct deep navigational channels and routes. In addition, these ships are also capable of carrying surveys of Maritime boundaries and collection of Oceanographic and Geographical data for the Navy’s surveillance and security applications, thus enhancing the maritime defense structure of the nation.
To diversify the abilities to design military-grade vessels these vessels were successfully designed by the in-house team of GRSE to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy and are being built and outfitted utilizing the concepts of ‘Integrated Construction’ routing through modular paradigm and within noted characteristics of applicable provisions and regulations of the Classification Society (IRS).
Speaking on the occasion MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt said, “Launch of first Survey Vessel (Large) ‘Sandhayak’ today reinforces our commitment for indigenous shipbuilding as part of our Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India’, and thrust to the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India).
GRSE has been now a forerunner in building major vessels for the Indian Navy, till now 70 vessels were built and delivered by GRSE are operating with the fleet. GRSE’s growing participation in the Indian Navy’s growth has surely reduced the burden from Mazgoan Dock Limited Shipyard, the major defense shipbuilders till now for the nation.
Brimming into massive self-reliance initiative pitched by Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat schemes administered by the government of India, the nation is profoundly catalyzing the domestic industrial capability to materialize the ambition to be independent in defense technologies.
