FSS-5 keel laying at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, on Tuesday formally began construction of the fifth Fleet Support Ship for the Indian Navy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the keel at the ceremony where the lead ship of the class, FSS-1 Surya, was launched.

He also inaugurated the yard's Augmented Slipway.

Singh described the FSS-5 keel laying as another strong foundation for India's maritime future, and linked the day's three milestones in a single line. "The launch of FSS1 is a symbol of achievement, keel laying of FSS5 is a symbol of resolve and the new Slipway is a symbol of our growing capability," he said.


FSS-5 keel laying puts the fifth Fleet Support Ship on the berth

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Fleet Support Ships are indigenously designed and built by HSL with over 82 percent indigenous content. The ministry credited that figure to close cooperation between the Navy, the shipyard, defence industry and MSMEs. The Navy's own account of the ceremony, issued on Wednesday, named FSS-5 as the fifth ship of the class and the Augmented Slipway as a key infrastructure upgrade at the yard.

The contract for five ships was signed with HSL in August 2023, a deal publicly reported at around Rs 19,000 crore.

Each ship is expected to displace more than 40,000 tonnes. Two of the five hulls are being built by L&T Shipyard at Kattupalli, according to earlier reporting, where keels have been laid since March 2025.

Surya sets the build pace

Steel was cut for Surya at Visakhapatnam in April 2024 and its keel was laid that November, according to reports at the time. The hull entered the water on Tuesday, about 23 months after keel laying, and now moves to outfitting.

Replenishment at sea for a blue water Navy

On induction, the ships will add to the Navy's blue water capability by replenishing fleet units at sea, the ministry said. They will carry fuel, water, ammunition and stores, so that warships can stay on station without returning to harbour. HSL's design gives the class enhanced cargo and fluid capacity, onboard first-line maintenance workshops, a helicopter deck for Multi-Role Helicopter operations and self-defence systems. The ministry said the ships would strengthen operational logistics and extend the fleet's reach and mobility.

Their secondary role covers Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO), allowing quick delivery of relief material and evacuation of personnel.

Singh made the same case at the yard. A Navy operating for long periods in distant waters needs logistics, maintenance and sustained support as much as it needs warships, he said, adding that the Fleet Support Ships would strengthen its reach, endurance and operational effectiveness in the Indian Ocean Region.

Augmented Slipway opened for larger hulls at HSL

The upgraded Slipway-4 has been extended and strengthened so that HSL can build and launch ships of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT), according to the Ministry of Defence. A 300-tonne Goliath crane spanning Slipways 3 and 4 was inaugurated alongside it.

Singh called for Visakhapatnam to be developed as a major Maritime Industrial Hub, drawing on the Eastern Naval Command, the Naval Dockyard, HSL and Visakhapatnam Port. "India's maritime strength cannot be built by the Navy or shipyards alone," he said. "Self-reliance is an important milestone, but global competitiveness is the next big leap," Singh added. Indian yards, he said, should compete with the world's best on quality, cost, technology, delivery and reliability, and serve friendly nations. For HSL, his priorities included timely delivery as an organisational culture, stronger indigenous design capability and closer coordination with the Navy.

Singh recalled that Jala Usha, the first ship built in independent India, was launched at Visakhapatnam in 1948. HSL's recent deliveries to the Navy include the diving support vessel Nipun, the second of two Nistar class ships built at the Visakhapatnam yard, which was commissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on 31 August. The ministry has described Surya as the Navy's first indigenous Fleet Support Ship, and the programme as a flag bearer of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.

Chief of the Naval Staff among dignitaries at HSL

In keeping with naval tradition, Smt Laila Swaminathan, President of the Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA), launched Surya in the presence of the Defence Minister. Adm Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff, attended with senior officials from the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence and HSL. The ceremonial plaque also named Vice Adm Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Joint Secretary (Naval Systems) Vijay Namdeorao Zade of the Department of Defence Production, and Mathukumilli Sribharat, Member of the Lok Sabha.