New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd delivered INS Nirdeshak, the second of the four survey vessels, to the Indian Navy on Tuesday.

The first ship of the class, INS Sandhayak, was commissioned in the Indian Navy on February 3 this year. The contract for four survey vessels (SVL) was signed on October 30, 2018.

“The SVL ships are designed and built as per classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping. The ship aims at full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port/harbour approaches and determination of navigational channels/ routes,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ministry informed that the ship will also collect oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications. With a displacement of about 3400 tons and an overall length of 110 meters, INS Nirdeshak is fitted with state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment. Its state-of-the-art equipment includes data acquisition and processing systems, autonomous underwater vehicle, remotely operated vehicle, DGPS long-range positioning systems, digital side scan sonar, etc. Powered by two diesel engines, the ship can achieve speeds in excess of 18 knots.

The keel of the ship was laid on December 1, 2020, and the ship was launched on May 26, 2022. The ship has undergone a comprehensive schedule of trials in the harbour and at sea prior to its delivery.

“INS Nirdeshak has an indigenous content of over 80 per cent by cost. The delivery of INS Nirdeshak is a reassurance of impetus of the Government of India and the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. The delivery of INS Nirdeshak is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of a large number of stakeholders, MSMEs and the Indian industry in enhancing the maritime prowess of the nation in the Indian Ocean Region,” the ministry added.