Nipun: India's Indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV)

Nipun: India's Indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV)

#GS-3 #Science & Technology #Defence #Current Events #National #Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Why in News

  • Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has formally handed over ‘Nipun’ to the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam.
  • This is the second indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) created for naval deep-sea operations.

Overview of Nipun DSV

  • It is a first-of-its-kind naval ship designed for deep-sea diving, subsea salvage, submarine rescue, and search-and-rescue missions.
  • This ship is the second vessel under the Nistar-class DSV project, following its sister ship INS Nistar.
  • Engineers at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) designed and constructed the vessel in Visakhapatnam.
  • The vessel aims to strengthen India's strategic underwater capabilities and lower dependence on foreign rescue ships.

Key Features

  • The vessel measures 4 meters in length with a total displacement exceeding 8,560 tonnes.
  • It contains 75%-80% indigenous content and uses specialized steel made completely by SAIL.
  • It features advanced diving equipment, a side stage, moonpool, and saturation systems for safe operation at extreme depths.
  • It functions as a mother ship to launch, track, and recover Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRV) during emergencies.
  • It carries advanced subsea Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to monitor divers in real time and assist in salvage tasks.
  • The ship can stay at sea for 60 days without replenishment and has a flight deck for heavy Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters.

Significance

  • It allows the Indian Navy to execute fast submarine rescues across the Indo-Pacific region without needing foreign help.
  • It highlights the growing capability of India's defence shipbuilding sector under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.