Indian Navy's new diving support craft launched in Kolkata

New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) A new diving support craft (DSC) of the Indian Navy was launched in Kolkata at a ceremony presided over by Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Suraj Berry, an official said on Saturday.

In keeping with the Naval maritime tradition, the ‘DSC A 22’ catamaran hull ships, with a displacement of 380 tonne, was launched by Mrs. Kangana Berry.

The launch of 'DSC A 22', the third of five such ships being built by Titagarh Rail Systems (TRSL), Kolkata for Indian Navy, took place on Friday at Titagarh, Kolkata (WB), the official said in a statement.

The contract for building five DSC was signed between the Ministry of Defence and TRSL on February 12, 2021. These ships are designed to undertake diving operations in coastal waters and are being fitted with state-of-the-art diving equipment, said the statement.

These ships are indigenously designed and built under the Naval Rules and Regulations of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).

The hydrodynamic analysis/model testing of the ships during design stage was undertaken at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam. These ships are proud flag bearers of Make in India initiative, said the statement.

Earlier in the day, INS Androth, second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWCs), was delivered to the Navy on Saturday by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd.

INS Androth was accepted on behalf of the Indian Navy by Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, CSO (Tech), ENC.

The first warship of this series, INS Arnala, was delivered on May 8 this year and commissioned into the Navy on June 18, 2025.

Named after the Androth Island in the Lakshadweep Archipelago, INS Androth is also the second warship of this class on which an indigenous 30 mm Naval Surface Gun (NSG), manufactured by GRSE, has been fitted.

--IANS

rch/pgh