Kattupalli (Chennai) [India], May 26 (ANI): Nirdeshak, the second of the four Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) projects being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in collaboration with LT shipbuilding for the Indian Navy was launched on Thursday, at Kattupalli, Chennai.

As per an official press release, the vessel made its first contact with the water of the Bay of Bengal at 10:38 am at the launch ceremony graced by the Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

According to the statement, the ship has taken its name from erstwhile Nirdeshak which was also an Indian Naval Survey ship and was decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service in December 2014.

Part construction of three out of four ships of SVL is being undertaken at LT, Kattupalli as part of a collaborative approach between GRSE and LT shipbuilding. This model of Public-Private Partnership shall be a harbinger of future successful collaboration for Warship construction in India.

The contract for building four SVL ships was signed between MoD and GRSE, Kolkata on October 30, 2018. The first of class ship 'Sandhayak' was launched in December 2021 at GRSE, Kolkata.

The SVL ships will replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships with new generation hydrographic equipment to collect oceanographic data. The Survey Vessel (Large) ships have a deep displacement of about 3400 tons and a complement of 235 personnel.

The ship is designed to operate at a cruise speed of 14 knots and a maximum speed of 18 knots. Bow and Stern Thrusters have been catered for better manoeuvring at low speeds required during shallow water survey operations. The hull of these ships is made from indigenously developed DMR 249-A steel manufactured by Steel Authority of India Limited.

With the capability to carry four Survey Motor Boats and an integral helicopter, the primary role of the ships would be to undertake full scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys of Ports and navigational channels. The ships would also be deployed for collecting oceanographic and geophysical data for defence as well as civil applications. In their secondary role, the ships are capable of providing limited defence, besides serving as Hospital ships during emergencies. (ANI)