Indian Navy commissions Samarthak, first multi-purpose vessel built by a private shipyard

Samarthak Indias first multipurpose vessel built by a private shipyard was commissioned into the Navy on Friday marking a major milestone in expanding the role of domestic industry in warship constructionAddressing the commissioning ceremony in the presence of VicePresident C P Radhakrishnan at the Navys base at Karwar Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said the vessel built by Larsen and Toubro LampT at its Kattupalli shipyard in Tamil Nadu has more than 75 per cent indigenous contentKarnataka Minister for Labour Santosh Lad was also present on the occasionAdmiral Swaminathan described the commissioning as a significant step towards Aatmanirbharata selfreliance noting that the vessel was designed engineered and built entirely inhouse at LampTs Warship Design Centre and shipyardSamarthak is the first of the four multipurpose vessels inducted into the Indian Navy and its commissioning marks another important milestone in Indias drive towards defence selfreliance It will form an important component of the Navys future and is an ideal utility ship for strategically important operationsSamarthak is the first major or big warship contracted to and constructed by a private shipyard to be commissioned into the Indian Navy he saidThe vessel is designed to undertake a range of operational and support roles including trials of indigenous weapons and sensors operations involving unmanned autonomous systems and maritime surveillance and patrol dutiesAdmiral Swaminathan explained that Samarthak is equipped with a stateoftheart dynamic positioning system and can launch and recover targets used in warship exercises at sea It will also serve as a trial platform for indigenous weapons and sensors under developmentThese capabilities are particularly vital in todays rapidly evolving technological milieu where shortening the journey from prototype to production is critical to maintaining the operational edge at sea he saidThe vessels capabilities extend beyond testing and evaluation Its endurance and ability to support other ships at sea will help sustain naval operations across dispersed areas of interest for extended periods the Navy chief saidSamarthak is also equipped with heavytowing facilities medical infrastructure and firefighting capabilities to assist ships in distress and respond to emergencies at sea It can support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations as well as noncombatant evacuation missionsAdmiral Swaminathan said the vessel would strengthen the Navys operational readiness help translate emerging technologies into operational capabilities and reinforce Indias role as a first responder and preferred security partner in the region in line with the national vision of MahasagarHe congratulated LampTs leadership and workforce along with the Navys warship production teams micro small and medium enterprises equipment manufacturers and other industry partners involved in the projectThe Navy chief however stressed the need to draw lessons from the vessels construction to improve build quality and reduce construction timelines for future shipsEven a very successful maiden achievement can give us useful pointers to strengthen our efforts in the long term he saidAddressing the ships commissioning crew he stressed that they are responsible for setting high standards and giving the vessel its operational purpose and spiritThe commissioning marks another step in the Navys efforts to deepen collaboration with domestic shipyards and industry to develop indigenous technologies and strengthen Indias maritime industrial baseThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever