Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has delivered the second Nistar-class diving support vessel to the Indian Navy as part of a 2018 contract.
Handover for the INS Nipun (A17) followed its keel laying in 2020 and launch in 2022, expanding the South Asian country’s deepwater and rescue platforms to assist its existing and future submarine fleet.
In the theater, the ship will stage diving works and unmanned vehicles for broader surveillance and salvage missions.
The platform’s submarine auxiliary support role will primarily center on its capability to transport and deploy the force’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vessels, which are used to respond and extract personnel in distress underwater.
“Nipun’s delivery is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s quest for indigenous Shipbuilding upholding the Government’s vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ with nearly 75 percent Indigenous Content,” the Indian Ministry of Defence said.
“The delivery marks a major step in bolstering the Indian Navy’s capabilities in the niche domain of Deep Sea Dive Operations.”
The Nistar-Class Diving Support Vessel
New Delhi’s Nistar ship measures 118 meters (387 feet) in length and has a beam of 23 meters (75 feet).
It is fitted with twin diesel engines, a dynamic positioning system, a diver monitoring platform, a mapping and debris localization sonar, a special communications network, and additional navigation radars.
The vessel is protected by an electronic warfare suite, a Lynx-U2 fire control system, and 30mm AK-630 rotary cannons.
The Nistar has a top speed of 18 knots (33 kilometers/21 miles per hour), a 60-day continuous operability, has diver tracking of up to 300 meters (984 feet) in depth, side diving operations of up to 75 meters (246 feet), and a remote control range of up to 1,000 meters (3,281 feet).
