Nistar, the first of the class Diving Support Vessel (DSV), is all set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy during a ceremony scheduled to be held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam on July 18. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be attending the commissioning ceremony.
On commissioning, the ship will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations.
In a statement, the Naval spokesperson stated that a total of 120 MSMEs have participated in the construction of this ambitious, unique and state-of-the-art vessel, achieving more than 80% indigenous content.
In her earlier avatar ex-Nistar, was a submarine rescue vessel which was acquired by the Indian Navy from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971. In two decades of service, she had significantly contributed towards the Indian Navy’s diving and submarine rescue operations. With the commissioning of this ship, the legacy of ex-Nistar continues onwards, with her motto ‘Surakshita Yatharthta Shauryam’ translating to ‘Deliverance with Precision and Bravery’, aptly reflecting the main roles of the ship, it read.
With a length of approxately 120 meters and displacing more than 10,000 tons, the DSV has the capacity to maintain its position with extreme accuracy, using Dynamic Positioning System. The expansive diving complex onboard which consists of both Air and Saturation Diving Systems, along with underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Side Scan SONAR, substantially enhances the operational envelope of the vessel.
The ship is also outfitted with an Operation Theatre, Intensive Care Unit, Eight Bedded Hospital and Hyperbaric Medical Facilities which are critical towards meeting her operational roles.
Endurance of over 60 days at sea, capacity to undertake stages through helicopter operations and a 15-ton subsea crane make the ship a very versatile platform.