Indian Navy commissions INS Nirdeshak

Primary role of vessel is to conduct hydrographic surveys for production of nautical charts & serve as hospital ship

- USHA PERI @Visakhapatnam

INS Nirdeshak, the second ship under the Survey Vessel (Large) project, was formally commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, presided over the commissioning ceremony, which was hosted by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. The ship is part of a series of four survey vessels under construction by Garden Reach Shipbuilding & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. Designed to conduct hydrographic surveys, assist in navigation, and support maritime operations, the vessel marks a major step in strengthening India's maritime capabilities.

The secondary role of the vessel is to serve as a hospital ship and to take part in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. The vessel is the successor of the former ship 'Nirdeshak,' that served the Indian Navy with distinction for over three decades. It was decommissioned on December 19, 2014.