Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 6 launched FSS-1 ‘Surya’, the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. The 43,500-tonne vessels are designed to provide at-sea replenishment, including refuelling and resupply of warships, helping the Navy operate for longer periods across the Indian Ocean Region. NDTV

FSS-1 reached the launch stage 18 months after the first cut of steel. During the same visit, Rajnath Singh laid the keel for the fifth ship in the series, FSS-5, marking further progress in the fleet support ship programme. NDTV

The Defence Minister also inaugurated the upgraded Slipway-4 and a new 300-tonne Goliath Crane at HSL. The upgraded infrastructure enables the shipyard to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes, strengthening its capacity to undertake larger and more complex shipbuilding programmes. Press Information Bureau

Rajnath Singh highlighted Visakhapatnam’s importance to India’s maritime ecosystem and described HSL as an important pillar of the country’s maritime strength. The developments are part of the broader push towards indigenous shipbuilding and greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing.