Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the Indian Navy’s first Fleet Support Ship, FSS-1 ‘Surya’, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, while also laying the keel for the fifth vessel in the class and inaugurating major shipbuilding infrastructure upgrades at the yard.

The developments mark a significant milestone in India’s efforts to strengthen indigenous shipbuilding capabilities and enhance naval endurance across the Indian Ocean Region.

The launch of ‘Surya’, the first of five Fleet Support Ships being constructed for the Indian Navy, represents a major advance in the country’s maritime modernisation drive. Displacing approximately 43,500 tons, the vessel is designed to provide critical at-sea replenishment support, enabling frontline warships to remain deployed for extended periods without returning to port.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessel will enter the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting, highlighting the rapid pace of construction under the project. The keel laying of FSS-5 during the same ceremony underscored the program’s progress towards serial production.

Alongside the naval milestones, Rajnath Singh inaugurated the upgraded Slipway-4 and a new 300-ton Goliath crane at HSL. The enhanced infrastructure, featuring greater length and load-bearing capacity, will enable the shipyard to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT while significantly expanding its ability to handle larger and more sophisticated naval platforms.

The upgraded slipway measures 235 metres in length and 37.5 metres in width, while the improvements increase HSL’s covered dock capacity to 80,000 DWT. These investments are expected to strengthen the shipyard’s long-term role in India’s naval construction plans.

Addressing the gathering, Singh described the launch of FSS-1 as a symbol of achievement, the keel laying of FSS-5 as a symbol of resolve, and the new slipway as a symbol of India’s growing capability. He said the simultaneous progress on shipbuilding and infrastructure was helping lay the foundations of the country’s future maritime power.

The Defence Minister linked the modernisation of shipbuilding infrastructure to India’s broader maritime security objectives and the national push towards greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing. He emphasised that stronger domestic shipbuilding capacity would be essential to supporting the Indian Navy’s expanding operational commitments.

Singh also highlighted India’s historical maritime heritage, describing the country’s quest to become a leading maritime power as both a revival and strengthening of its long-standing connection with the seas. He praised HSL’s contribution to national maritime capability and noted the shipyard’s transformation in recent years.

HSL attained Miniratna Category-I status in 2025, a development Singh cited as evidence of the shipyard’s turnaround and growing importance within India’s defence-industrial ecosystem.

The five Fleet Support Ships are being built with approximately 82 per cent indigenous content under a single contract, reflecting the increasing maturity of India’s naval shipbuilding sector. The project is expected to significantly reduce reliance on foreign suppliers for key support vessels.

Beyond refuelling warships at sea, the new vessels are designed to transport fuel, aviation fuel, water, ammunition, spare parts and other supplies. They will also possess onboard maintenance facilities capable of conducting first-line repairs and supporting extended fleet operations far from Indian shores.

The Fleet Support Ship class will eventually supplement and succeed portions of the Navy’s existing replenishment capability provided by vessels such as INS Shakti, INS Jyoti, INS Deepak and INS Aditya.

Their introduction is expected to substantially improve operational reach, endurance and sustainability during long-duration deployments across the Indian Ocean Region.

The ceremony was attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar and other senior civil and military officials, underscoring the strategic significance attached to the program.

With ‘Surya’ now launched, construction progressing across the remaining ships in the class, and major new infrastructure operational at HSL, India has taken another important step towards building a larger, more self-reliant and globally competitive maritime industrial base capable of supporting the Indian Navy’s future requirements.

Agencies