Proposal for acquisition of five fleet support vessels in advanced stage

New Delhi: The Government on Monday said that the proposal for the acquisition of five fleet support vessels is in an advanced stage. In a written reply to V Vijayasai Reddy in Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said that for the design and construction of fleet support vessels, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has entered into a collaborator contract as per extant procurement procedures. Presently, the case is at an advanced stage of negotiations.

HSL has tied up with TAIS, a Turkish consortium formed by five leading shipyards led by Anadolu Shipyard, for designing and manufacturing of five Fleet Support Vessels at an estimated cost of Rs 16,000 crore.

Under the collaboration, TAIS will provide the technological support to HSL and the first fleet support vessel is expected to be delivered by the premier shipbuilding company to the Indian Navy within four years of the go-ahead.

The order for the construction of five Fleet Support Ships for the Indian Navy could be a game-changer for the Visakhapatnam-based Hindustan Shipyard Limited.

Speaking to Defence Watch on Monday, the Chairman and Managing Director of HSL Commodore Hemant Khatri said that negotiation in relation to the fleet support vessels is on with the Union Government and the contract is on the verge of finalisation.

Fleet support vessels

The primary role of the vessels would be to replenish ships of the Indian Navy with fuel, food and various other supplies. With a length of 230 m and displacement of 45,000 tonnes (44,000 long tons), these will be the heaviest and the second-largest vessels to be in operation in the Indian Navy fleets before 2030.

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