Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi/Kolkata, Apr 20: The Indian Navy has commissioned DSC A23, the fourth vessel in a series of five indigenously built Diving Support Craft, during a formal ceremony held at Titagarh in Kolkata.
The commissioning ceremony, conducted on Sunday with full naval traditions, was led by Deepa Sivakumar in the presence of Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar, Chief of Materiel. Senior officials from the Navy and Titagarh Rail Systems Limited also attended the event.
According to an official statement from the Ministry of Defence, the DSC A23 is a 30-metre-long catamaran-hulled vessel with a displacement of approximately 380 tons. The design provides enhanced stability, expanded working deck space, and improved sea-keeping capabilities, making it suitable for diving operations in coastal waters and harbours.
The vessel has been designed and constructed in compliance with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) Naval Rules and Regulations. It underwent extensive model testing and hydrodynamic analysis at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam before induction.
Officials said the addition of DSC A23 will significantly strengthen the Navy’s operational capabilities in underwater diving support, salvage operations, inspection tasks, and coastal deployment missions.
The project reflects a high level of indigenisation, with nearly 70% of the main and auxiliary equipment sourced from domestic manufacturers. Defence officials highlighted it as a key example of the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India programmes in the defence sector.
The first vessel in the series, DSC A20, was commissioned in December last year and is currently based in Kochi. That commissioning ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena and attended by senior naval leadership, along with representatives from Titagarh Rail Systems Limited.
The contract for the construction of five Diving Support Craft was signed between the Ministry of Defence and TRSL on February 12, 2021, marking a key step in strengthening India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities.