Visakhapatnam: In a significant demonstration of India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1) here on Tuesday.
He will also lay the keel of Fleet Support Ship-5 (FSS-5) and inaugurate the upgraded Slipway-4 and 300-tonne Goliath Crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam.
The upgraded Slipway-4, with its extended length and enhanced load-bearing capability, supported by the 300-tonne Goliath Crane, will enable the shipyard to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT, significantly expanding its capacity to undertake large and complex platforms, according to an official release.
FSS-1, the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy, will enter the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting.
These 43,500-tonne vessels will replenish warships at sea, extending the Navy’s endurance and reach across the Indian Ocean Region.
The keel laying of FSS-5 will mark the programme’s steady march towards series production.
The events will be attended by N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff, Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), among others.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also visit Odisha on Tuesday.
He will inaugurate the milestone event marking the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Koraput Division.
The event will mark nearly six decades of HAL Koraput’s contribution to India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities and operational readiness of the Armed Forces.
The event will also highlight the establishment of a second production line for Shakti engines, with an investment of Rs 218 crore. The additional capacity will support the growing requirements of indigenous helicopter platforms, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and Prachand Light Combat Helicopter.
“The event underlines the Government’s vision of transforming India from a buyer of defence equipment into a designer, developer and manufacturer of defence systems. Building indigenous aero-engine capability is a critical component of this vision, given the strategic importance and technological complexity of propulsion systems,” said a statement.
(IANS)
