Indian Navy’s Latest Survey Vessel Boosts Maritime Security and Trade Capabilities in Visakhapatnam
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh presided over the Commissioning Ceremony of the Indian Navy’s survey vessel Sandhayak at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam today. Addressing the gathering, the Raksha Mantri highlighted the power and prowess of the Indian Navy in terms of security and trade.
He said the Indian Navy has been playing a vital role in free trade in oceans and is prepared to prevent possible pirate attacks. The Indian Ocean is a hotspot in terms of Global Trade and the Indian Navy has become the first responder in terms of security in the Indian Ocean and Indian Pacific region, he added. The Minister also reiterated India’s intolerance for maritime piracy and smuggling.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar presented a warm welcome to Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh who arrived in Visakhapatnam to attend the Commissioning Ceremony of INS Sandhayak. Addressing the gathering, The Navy Chief said that the Indian Navy is dedicated to carefully crafting a balanced ‘Atmanirbhar Force’ in service of an ascended Bharat.
He also highlighted the Indian Navy’s prowess in building indigenous warships and submarines over the past years and introduced INS Sandhayak as the 34th addition to the Navy’s assets. G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, MP, Officials of the Indian Navy and other distinguished guests were present on the occasion.
INS Sandhayak was built at GRSE Kolkata and has over 80 per cent indigenous content reaffirming India’s expertise in design and warship construction. The 110-meter ship, displacing about 3800 tons is powered by two diesel engines and has been re-incarnated in its present avatar from erstwhile Sandhayak which was decommissioned on 4th June 2021.
The ship has an endurance of over 25 days and can achieve speeds over 18 Knots, making her a formidable asset for mapping our waters and becoming an important part of India’s outreach in the Indian Ocean Region through the conduct of Foreign Cooperation Surveys.
