Indian Navy to commission first indigenous diving support vessel

July 16, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

The Indian Navy is all set to commission the first of the class diving support vessel (DSV) Nistar at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

As disclosed, the commissioning ceremony is scheduled for July 18, 2025. The event marks the formal induction of the ship, which has been indigenously designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).

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

According to the Indian Navy, a total of 120 MSMEs have participated in the construction of the ship, achieving more than 80% indigenous content. The project is a step towards realising the Indian Navy’s vision of designing and constructing complex indigenous platforms.

The former Nistar was a submarine rescue vessel that was acquired by the Indian Navy from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971. In two decades of service, it had ‘significantly’ contributed towards the Indian Navy’s diving and submarine rescue operations.

The new vessel is 120 meters long and has a displacement of more than 10,000 tons. The diving complex onboard consists of both air and saturation diving systems, along with underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and side-scan sonar.

As the ‘Mother Ship’ for the deep submergence rescue vehicle (DRV), the induction of this platform is expected to provide a major capability enhancement to the Indian Navy’s submarine rescue preparedness.

It has the capacity to undertake stages through helicopter operations and a 15-ton subsea crane.

“⁠The commissioning of Nistar and its induction into the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command will not only enhance India’s operational preparedness in the underwater domain, but will also reinforce its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region,” it was concluded.