Kolkata: ‘DSC A 20’ (Yard 325), the first ship of the five Diving Support Craft (DSC) project, was launched today at Titagarh, Kolkata onto the Hooghly River. The Launch Ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS). In keeping with Naval tradition, his wife Aradhana Mahindru launched the ship with an invocation from Atharva Veda.
The contract for building the five Diving Support Crafts (DSC) for the Indian Navy was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Titagarh Wagons Ltd (now renamed Titagarh Rail Systems Limited), on February 12, 2021. These ships are designed to undertake operational/ training diving operations in harbours and coastal waters. They are 30-metre long catamaran hull ships, with a displacement of approximately 300 tons. All five DSCs are anticipated to be delivered to the Indian Navy in the Financial Year 2024-25.
DSCs are being fitted with state-of-the-art diving equipment and tools for performing diving operations. These ships are indigenously designed and built under relevant naval rules and regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The hydrodynamic analysis/ model testing of the ships during the design stage was undertaken at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.
With most of the main and auxiliary equipment sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these ships are “proud flag bearers” of Make in India and Make for the World initiatives of the Government of India (GoI)/ Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The Keel of the 5th and last Diving Support Craft (DSC), DSC A 24, was also laid along with the launch of the 1st DSC by the Chief Guest, Vice Admiral Mahindru, signifying the simultaneous construction of all five DSCs for Indian Navy.
– global bihari bureau
