Rajnath Singh Launches Indian Navy’s First 43,500-Tonne Fleet Support Ship in Visakhapatnam

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday launched the Indian Navy’s first Fleet Support Ship, FSS-1, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam and also laid the keel of the fifth vessel in the programme, as India moves ahead with a major indigenous replenishment fleet for sustained naval operations.

The launch took place on 6 October 2026. The 43,500-tonne vessel is the lead ship in a five-ship series designed to refuel and resupply warships at sea, helping Navy task groups stay deployed longer across the Indian Ocean Region. Contemporary reports identified the ship as Surya. According to the Ministry of Defence, FSS-1 was expected to enter the waters of the Bay of Bengal 18 months after steel cutting.

Launch, keel laying and yard modernisation

At the same ceremony, Singh laid the keel of FSS-5 and inaugurated two major infrastructure additions at HSL: the upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath crane. The expanded slipway, supported by the new crane and built for a higher load-bearing capacity, will allow the shipyard to construct and launch vessels of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes.

The Ministry of Defence said the event reflected the growth of indigenous shipbuilding capacity and described the keel laying of FSS-5 as evidence that the programme had moved towards series production. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar were among those present.

Speaking at the ceremony, Singh said keel laying symbolised resolve, while the new slipway represented expanding capacity. He said the combined developments would strengthen the foundations of India’s maritime power. The Defence Minister had also attended a Barakhana organised by the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on Monday evening, where he interacted with naval personnel and their families.

What the Fleet Support Ships will do

The Fleet Support Ships are intended to replenish Navy vessels at sea with fuel, water, ammunition and other stores. Their role is central to keeping fleet units operational without frequent returns to harbour, thereby extending the endurance of task groups during long deployments.

The ships will also have secondary roles in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as non-combatant evacuation operations. That broader utility gives the class relevance beyond traditional replenishment duties, particularly in the context of regional contingencies and maritime emergencies.

The Ministry of Defence signed the contract for five Fleet Support Ships with HSL on 25 August 2023 for about ₹19,000 crore, following approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security on 16 August 2023. The vessels were described at the time as being indigenously designed and built mostly with equipment sourced from Indian manufacturers. They were also presented as the first such ships to be constructed in India by an Indian shipyard. The Ministry’s October 2026 release placed the displacement at 43,500 tonnes, while the contract announcement had described them as about 44,000-tonne ships.

The Indian Navy has said deliveries are scheduled to begin from mid-2027. Steel cutting for FSS-5, the fifth and final ship in the series, was held at HSL on 8 May 2026. As part of the same programme, two ships are also being built at Larsen & Toubro’s Kattupalli shipyard.

Strategic value for naval logistics

The induction of the class is aimed at strengthening the Navy’s blue-water logistics, especially for sustained operations in the Indian Ocean Region. By providing replenishment at sea, the ships will support the deployment of warships over longer periods and reduce dependence on port-based support.

The new fleet will supplement the Navy’s existing replenishment assets, including INS Aditya and the Deepak-class tankers INS Deepak and INS Shakti. Together, these ships form the core of India’s underway replenishment capability, which is essential for a navy that operates far from home ports and requires endurance at sea.

The upgraded Slipway-4 and the 300-tonne Goliath crane also expand HSL’s capacity to handle larger and more complex platforms. That infrastructure upgrade aligns the shipyard’s facilities with the scale of the Fleet Support Ship programme and with the wider effort to deepen indigenous naval construction.