In a major boost to the Indian Navy's deep water surveillance capabilities, the country's blue water force on Monday received the first of its advanced survey vessels, Sandhayak, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Tuesday.
The ship was domestically manufactured at the state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata city of India's eastern state of West Bengal.
"The primary role of the ship would be full scale coastal and deep-water Hydrographic Survey of Port/ Harbour approaches and determination of navigational channels/ routes. Zone of operation includes maritime limits upto EEZ/ extended continental shelf," the MoD statement read.
"With a displacement of about 3400 tons and an overall length of 110 meters, Sandhayak is fitted with state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment such as Data Acquisition and Processing System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle, DGPS Long range positioning systems, Digital side scan sonar etc," it added.
Moreover, the survey vessel can attain a speed of 18 knots in ocean waters, thanks to its two diesel engines.
Last week, India's Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar underlined that the Indian Navy aimed to have 175 warships by 2035.
"We are looking at 170-175 ships by 2035. Currently, 67 ships are under construction, of which 65 are in Indian shipyards," Kumar told reporters during a press conference in New Delhi.