New Delhi, July 17: The Indian Navy is set to commission its first indigenous diving support vessel (DSV), INS Nistar, Navy officials said on Thursday.

INS Nistar will be commissioned in the Navy on July 18 at Visakhapatnam.

The name 'Nistar' originates from Sanskrit and it means liberation, rescue or salvation.

Designed and built indigenously by Hindustan Shipyard Limited at Visakhapatnam, Nistar represents a major step forward in India's pursuit of 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in defence manufacturing.

With contributions from 120 MSMEs and more than 80 per cent indigenous content, the vessel stands as a testament to India's capability to construct technologically advanced platforms that meet global standards.

Displacing more than 10,500 tons (Gross Registered Tonnage), the vessel is nearly 120 metres long and 20 metres wide.

Its primary roles include deep-sea diving operations and rescue missions for distressed submarines.

The ship features an advanced diving complex spread across multiple decks and is outfitted with cutting-edge systems to support saturation diving missions.

Enhancing its underwater operational capabilities, Nistar is equipped with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and functions as a mothership for the deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV).

According to the Navy, in submarine rescue operations, the vessel can deploy both ROVs for underwater intervention and the DSRV for evacuating personnel from stricken submarines.

The commissioning of Nistar underscores India's continued progress in indigenising its defence sector and reflects the Indian Navy's unwavering commitment to bolstering its underwater warfare and rescue capabilities.

The commissioning ceremony on Friday, will be graced by the Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, and will be attended by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, along with other senior dignitaries.

Upon commissioning, the ship will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations.

In her earlier ‘avatar’ the vessel was a submarine rescue vessel which was acquired from the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1969 and commissioned in 1971.

Endurance of more than 60 days at sea, capacity to undertake stage through helicopter operations and a 15-ton subsea crane make the ship a very versatile platform. (IANS)

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