The Indian Navy’s first Fleet Support Ship, FSS-1 “Surya,” was launched by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. He also laid the keel for the fifth ship in the class and officially opened significant shipbuilding infrastructure improvements at the yard.
The discoveries represent an important turning point in India’s efforts to improve navy endurance throughout the Indian Ocean Region and fortify domestic shipbuilding capabilities.
The introduction of “Surya,” the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy, is a significant step forward in the nation’s efforts to modernize its marine infrastructure.
The ship will enter the Bay of Bengal seas just eighteen months following steel cutting, according to the Ministry of Defense, underscoring the project’s quick construction
Rajnath Singh also opened the improved Slipway-4 and a new 300-ton Goliath crane at HSL in addition to the naval achievements.
In addition to increasing HSL’s covered dock capacity to 80,000 DWT, the renovated slipway is 235 meters long and 37.5 meters wide.
Speaking to the crowd, Singh said that the FSS-1 launch represented success, the FSS-5 keel laying represented determination, and the new slipway represented India’s expanding capabilities.
The Defense Minister connected India’s larger maritime security goals and the country’s drive for increased defense manufacturing self-reliance to the modernization of shipbuilding facilities.
Singh also emphasized India’s long-standing maritime legacy, characterizing the nation’s aspirations to become a major maritime force as a revitalization and fortification of its long-standing ties to the oceans.
Singh pointed to HSL’s achievement of Miniratna Category-I classification in 2025 as proof of the shipyard’s recovery and increasing significance in India’s defense-industrial ecosystem.
Under a single contract, the five Fleet Support Ships are being constructed with about 82% indigenous content, demonstrating the growing maturity of India’s navy shipbuilding industry.
The new ships are built to carry fuel, aviation fuel, water, ammunition, spare parts, and other supplies in addition to refueling warships at sea.
Parts of the Navy’s current replenishment capacity, which is supplied by ships like INS Shakti, INS Jyoti, INS Deepak, and INS Aditya, will eventually be supplemented and replaced by the Fleet Support Ship class.
Long-term deployments in the Indian Ocean Region are anticipated to significantly increase operational reach, endurance, and sustainability with their introduction.
Defense Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and other high-ranking civil and military officials attended the ceremony, highlighting the program’s strategic importance.
With the launch of “Surya,” the construction of the remaining ships in the class, and the operation of significant new infrastructure at HSL, India has made significant progress toward creating a larger, more independent, and globally competitive maritime industrial base that can meet the needs of the Indian Navy in the future.
