In a significant demonstration of India’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will launch Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1), lay the keel of Fleet Support Ship-5 (FSS-5) and also inaugurate the upgraded Slipway-4 and 300-tonne Goliath Crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Vishakapatanam, on October 06, 2026.
The upgraded Slipway-4, with its extended length and enhanced load-bearing capability, supported by the 300-tonne Goliath Crane, will enable the shipyard to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT, significantly expanding its capacity to undertake large and complex platforms.
FSS-1, the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy, will enter the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting. These 43,500-tonne vessels will replenish warships at sea, extending the Navy’s endurance and reach across the Indian Ocean Region. The keel laying of FSS-5 will mark the programme’s steady march towards series production.
The events will be attended by Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff, Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), among others.
