Mumbai: The Chief of Naval Staff commissioned INS Nipun, the second indigenously built Nistar-class diving support vessel (DSV), on Monday at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The Navy chief said that the vessel will position India as the preferred submarine rescue partner for friendly navies in the Indian Ocean Region.
Advanced Deep-Sea Vessel Commissioned
The state-of-the-art platform was commissioned into active operational service during a high-profile ceremony presided over by Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. The DSV, designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, has been built specifically for deep-sea diving, salvage, underwater intervention and complex submarine rescue operations. The 119m-long ship boasts a specialised diving complex capable of supporting saturation, air and heliox diving of up to 300m in the sea.
The vessel also boasts a rapid response submarine rescue capability. It is further fitted with dynamic positioning systems and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for deep-water inspection and intervention. Along with her sister ship INS Nistar, the ship substantially enhances the Navy's specialist capability in diving, underwater intervention, salvage and submarine rescue.
Navy Chief Highlights Maritime Challenges
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Adm. Swaminathan highlighted the critical need for constant vigilance on global maritime highways, particularly citing ongoing geopolitical instability in West Asia. "As a fighting Navy, combat readiness is our foremost responsibility and our highest priority. We are living through a period of significant strategic churn. The maritime environment is becoming increasingly contested, and threat perceptions are constantly evolving into newer forms,” he said.
The Navy Chief emphasised that the Western Naval Command remains at the vanguard of safeguarding India's strategic sea lines of communication. "With West Asia in churn, global maritime highways under threat and nations across the region rearming at an accelerating pace, the addition of this capability will enable the Western Naval Command to strengthen its capabilities to operate above, on, and beneath the waves," he added.
India Eyes Regional Rescue Leadership
Crucially, INS Nipun is designed to embark and deploy the Indian Navy’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV). This niche capability will elevate India into an elite group of nations capable of executing complex underwater rescue missions, positioning the nation as a 'preferred submarine rescue partner' for friendly navies in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), according to the Navy chief.
Western Naval Command's Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, said, “With more than 75% of Indigenous content, this also stands as a testimony to our growing self reliance in defence manufacturing. We, today, have further strengthen Indian Navy's capabilities on both seaboards who operate in one of the most challenging and unforgiving environments on the Earth – the deep sea diving operations. With this, India has made its place in one of the few elite navies across the world.”
INS Nipun is the second of the two DSVs ordered by the Indian Navy. In the upcoming months, the agency is also set to commission three more vessels, including a shallow water craft, a warship and a multi-purpose vessel.
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