The Indian Navy commissioned DSC A20, the first of the five Diving Support Craft (DSC), built indigenously, during a ceremony held at Naval Base, Kochi, on Tuesday, an official said. With its induction, the Indian Navy’s capability in diving support, underwater inspection, salvage assistance, and coastal operational deployment will be substantially strengthened, said a statement, adding that the DSC A20 will be based at Kochi and operate under the Southern Naval Command.
The event was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and hosted by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, with senior naval officers, representatives of Titagarh Rail System Limited (TRSL), Kolkata, which built the craft.
The contract for building five Diving Support Craft was signed between the Ministry of Defence and TRSL on February 12, 2021, said a statement. The Hydrodynamic Analysis and Model Testing of the ship during the design stage was undertaken at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.
The DSC A20 has been designed and constructed as per the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). It is a catamaran-hull ship, with a displacement of approx 390 tons. Fitted with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment, the vessel would play a vital role for underwater repairs and inspections, harbour clearances and critical diving missions in coastal waters, it said.
Commissioning of DSC A20 is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s quest for indigenous shipbuilding, upholding the Government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. The indigenous construction of such a specialised platform in the Indian Navy stands as a testament to growing domestic capabilities, self-reliance and reducing dependency on imports.
The commissioning of DSC A20 marks a milestone in India’s pursuit of Aatmanirbharta and exemplifies the success of the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the maritime domain. The platform represents seamless collaboration between the Indian Navy, the indigenous shipbuilding industry, and national research organisations in delivering specialised, technologically advanced vessels.