Overview
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the first Fleet Support Ship, Surya, and laid the keel for the fifth hull at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
- Surya displaces about 43,500 tonnes, can carry 20,000 tonnes of diesel and large stocks of aviation fuel, fresh water and stores, and is fitted for underway replenishment by stern, alongside and by helicopter.
- HSL inaugurated an upgraded Slipway‑4 and a 300‑tonne Goliath crane that expand covered building capacity and enable launches of vessels up to roughly 45,000 deadweight tonnes.
- The five‑ship programme is moving to series production after rapid construction steps, with FSS‑1 launched about 18 months after steel cutting and the ships built with a majority of indigenous equipment under Make in India goals.
- The new ships will let carrier groups and surface units stay at sea longer, add capabilities for humanitarian relief and evacuations, and strengthen India’s domestic naval‑shipbuilding capacity for future large platforms.