New Delhi, February 1. The Indian Navy is all set to commission its latest Survey Vessel Sandhayak, at Naval Dockyard, Vizag on February 3 in the presence of the Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh as Chief Guest, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command and other distinguished guests including senior naval officers and GRSE officials. The event marks the formal induction into the Navy of the first of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships under construction at M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
Sandhayak was delivered to the Indian Navy on 04 Dec 2023 after completing a rigorous and comprehensive trial programme both in the harbour and at sea.
The primary role of the ship is to carry out full scale hydrographic surveys of ports, harbours, navigational channels/ routes, coastal areas and deep seas, towards enabling safe marine navigation. In its secondary role, the ship will be capable of undertaking a range of naval operations.
A significant addition to the naval fleet, Sandhayak is equipped with state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment including Deep & Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo-Sounders, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle, Side Scan Sonars, Data Acquisition and Processing System, satellite-based positioning systems and terrestrial survey equipment. The ship, re-incarnated in its present avatar from erstwhile Sandhayak which was decommissioned on 04 Jun 21, is propelled by two Diesel Engines and is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 18 knots. Measuring 110 meters in length, displacing 3400 tons and with 80% indigenous content, Sandhayak is a true testament of India’s growing shipbuilding prowess in pursuit of the national vision of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. Sandhayak is also a true harbinger of a developed India, in tune with the national vision for AmritKaal.
