Latest news with #DivingSupportVessel
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- General
- Times of Oman
"Proud moment:" MoS Sanjay Seth as India's first indigenous diving support vessel 'Nistar' commissioned into Indian Navy
Visakhapatnam: The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned INS Nistar, the country's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The commissioning ceremony was attended by Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, who hailed the milestone as a proud moment for the nation and praised Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi for his leadership and dedication. Addressing the ceremony, Sanjay Seth said, "On this proud and special day of Nistar's commissioning, the whole country is proudly echoing the call for Aatmanirbharta, and the result is right in front of us. On this important occasion, I want to say to Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, your energy, dedication, and leadership are a matter of pride for 1.4 billion Indians." Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi termed the commissioning of INS Nistar, India's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, is a historic achievement. "India's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel is a moment of great pride for all of us. I feel truly honoured to be present at its commissioning ceremony. This event is not just important for the Navy, but a historic achievement for the entire nation. On behalf of the Indian Navy, I sincerely thank the Hon'ble Minister of State for Defence for kindly accepting our invitation and joining us today as the Chief Guest," Tripathi said. He said the new Nistar carries forward the legacy of the original ship, which played a key role during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, including in detecting the Pakistani submarine Ghazi. He thanked the Minister of State for Defence for joining the event as the Chief Guest. "Nistar has returned with a new spirit and purpose. The earlier version of this ship was launched on March 29, 1971, and it played a key role in the Indo-Pak war that same year. It was based right here in Visakhapatnam and helped in identifying the Pakistani submarine Ghazi. It also made significant contributions to operations in the Eastern region. I am confident that this new Nistar will carry forward and strengthen the proud legacy of the original," he said 'Nistar', the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was delivered by Hindustan Shipyard Limited to the Indian Navy on July 8, 2025, at Visakhapatnam. The warship has been designed and built as per classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The ship is highly specialised and can undertake Deep Sea Diving and Rescue Operations - a capability with select Navies across the globe. The ship's name, 'Nistar', originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation. The ship, measuring 118 m with a tonnage of nearly 10,000 tons, is installed with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment and has the capability to undertake Deep Sea Saturation Diving up to 300 m depth. The ship also has a Side Diving Stage for undertaking Diving Operations up to 75 m depth. The ship will also serve as the 'Mother Ship' for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), to rescue and evacuate personnel, in case of an emergency in a submarine underwater. The ship is equipped with a combination of Remotely Operated Vehicles to undertake Diver Monitoring and Salvage Operations up to a depth of 1000 m.
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- General
- Times of Oman
First indigenous diving support vessel 'Nistar' to be commissioned into Indian Navy
Visakhapatnam: The Indian Navy is set to commission Nistar, the country's first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on Friday, in the presence of Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth. In a post on X, SpokespersonNavy stated, "#Nistar - India's first indigenously designed & constructed Diving Support Vessel, to be commissioned into to the #IndianNavy today, #18Jul 25, in presence of Hon'ble Raksha Rajya Mantri, Shri@SethSanjayMP." 'Nistar', the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was delivered by Hindustan Shipyard Limited to the Indian Navy on July 8, 2025, at Visakhapatnam. The warship has been designed and built as per the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). According to an official statement, the ship is a testament to the Government of India's resolute focus on nation-building through self-reliance in defence production and unwavering focus on Aatmanirbharta. A total of 120 MSMEs have participated in the construction of this ambitious, unique and state-of-the-art vessel, achieving more than 80 per cent indigenous content. The ship is highly specialised and can undertake Deep-Sea Diving and Rescue Operations, a capability held by select Navies across the globe. The ship's name, 'Nistar', originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation. The ship, measuring 118 m in length with a tonnage of nearly 10,000 tons, is equipped with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment and has the capability to undertake Deep saturation diving up to a depth of 300 m. The ship also features a Side Diving Stage for conducting diving operations up to a depth of 75 m. The ship will also serve as the 'Mother Ship' for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), to rescue and evacuate personnel, in case of an emergency in a submarine underwater. The ship is equipped with a combination of Remotely Operated Vehicles to undertake Diver Monitoring and Salvage Operations up to a depth of 1000 m. In her earlier avatar, ex-Nistar was a submarine rescue vessel acquired by the Indian Navy from the former USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971. Over the course of her two decades of service, she made significant contributions to the Indian Navy's diving and submarine rescue operations. With the commissioning of this ship, the legacy of ex-Nistar continues onwards, with her motto 'Surakshita Yatharthta Shauryam' translating to 'Deliverance with Precision and Bravery', aptly reflecting the main roles of the ship.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Navy Shares Glimpses Of First Homegrown Nistar-Class Diving Support Vessel
New Delhi: The Indian Navy has shared the first glimpse of its upcoming Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel (DSV). The indigenously built vessel, constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, is designed to support various underwater missions such as submarine rescue and deep-sea diving operations. Nistar, equipped with cutting-edge deep-sea diving systems, is set to join the Eastern Naval Command soon. The vessel, a major milestone under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, features 80 per cent indigenous content and was developed in collaboration with over 120 MSMEs. Nistar - The Construction Journey Soon to join #EasternNavalCommand - #Nistar, India's first indigenously designed Diving Support Vessel. Built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Nistar is a shining symbol of #AatmanirbharBharat with 80% indigenisation & 120 MSMEs collaborating She… — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 12, 2025 Cmde Hemant Khatri (retired), Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, descrived the vessel as a national achievement. "Nistar, when it's commissioned and delivered to the crew, is going to be the pride of the Indian Navy. It is a ship made for the Indian Navy by an Indian shipyard and of indigenous material," he said. The vessel's operational envelope is significantly improved by the extensive diving complex on board, which includes both air and saturation diving systems, underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and side scan sonar. One of the ship's most important functions will be serving as the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel's (DSRV) "mother ship," which is in charge of personnel rescue and evacuation in the event of a submarine emergency. Nistar is capable of performing deep-sea saturation diving operations to depths of 300 metres. It also has a side diving stage that can accommodate dives up to 75 metres deep. The ship's keel was laid on December 28, 2019, and despite challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, both vessels of the Nistar class were launched within just 33 months. A total of 4,500 tonnes of steel and approximately 450 km of cabling were required to bring this ship to life.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt gives 48-hour ultimatum to MSC Shipmanagement to begin oil extraction from MSC ELSA 3
MUMBAI: The government has given a 48-hour ultimatum to MSC Shipmanagement Ltd to start work on extraction of oil from the sunken ship MSC ELSA 3 off the coast of Kerala or face legal consequences for 'continued inaction and delay representing not only negligence but also a violation of statutory obligations' in the backdrop of imminent environmental and economic threat posed to the Indian coastline and its coastal communities. The oil extraction work was slated to start around June 5 but has not even begun, the Director General of Shipping, Shyam Jagannathan, wrote in a June 11 notice issued to MSC Shipmanagement, the Cyprus-based ship management unit of Mediterranean Shipping Company, S.A., the world's biggest container shipping line and the operator of MSC ELSA 3. Voicing increasing concern on the progress made in salvage and emergency response operations of the sunken container ship, the D G Shipping said that it was 'grossly inadequate and continues to fall short of the timelines and operational commitments previously provided by the salvors (T&T Salvage) and the owner of the ship'. Despite repeated instructions and coordination meetings, the response from the salvors has been 'consistently delayed and insufficient', the country's maritime regulator said. 'The lack of prompt action has resulted in a continued and serious risk to the marine environment and coastline of India, particularly affecting the coastal regions of Kerala. The region's local communities, which heavily rely on fishing for their livelihoods, have already suffered extensive loss of work and income due to the prolonged presence of the sunken vessel, floating debris, oil sheen, and ongoing pollution risk,' Jagannathan wrote in the notice. The ship was carrying 367.1 metric tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil and 84.4 metric tonnes of diesel in its tanks when it capsized and sank on May 25. Recalling that salvors were clearly advised to mobilise necessary assets required for diving and oil recovery operations as early as the first day of the incident, the D G Shipping noted that the Diving Support Vessel (DSV) and necessary diving assets were not mobilised until after May 30. 'This initial delay set back the entire timeline for the operation. Even the tug assets hired by the owners arrived on scene only after June 1, with no prior deployment initiated by the salvors,' he told MSC Shipmanagement. While it was abundantly clear considering the depth of the water (51 meters) that saturation diving was required for the extraction of oil from the vessel, the salvors have, to date, been able to conduct only limited air diving operations, which are inadequate for the extraction of oil from the tanks of the sunken vessel. 'The timeline provided for these operations has been grossly violated. Capping of vents, which was scheduled for completion earlier this month, is still being conducted at present. The extraction of oil, originally scheduled to commence around June 5, 2025, has not even begun as of this date,' Jagannathan pointed out. The delay, Jagannathan wrote, is 'even more unacceptable' considering that the western coast of India, including Kerala, is entering its monsoon season - a period during which offshore salvage operations become highly unsafe or entirely unfeasible due to harsh weather conditions. 'The salvage operation was provided a short weather window to conduct these critical activities, and that window has now largely been lost as a direct consequence of the salvors' failure to timely deploy assets and personnel,' he said. The salvors had committed to arrange expert saturation divers and a team for the specialised equipment from 11 countries. The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), to assist the salvors, had written directly to the Indian Embassies and High Commissions in these countries to expedite visa clearances. 'Yet, it has come to light that several visa applications were not even filed by the salvors, resulting in continued non-availability of the saturation divers even at this stage,' the D G Shipping stated. 'This consistent inaction and delay represent not only negligence but also a violation of statutory obligations. Should the extraction of oil not commence within the next 48 hours, the government of India shall be left with no alternative but examine all avenues against the shipowners and salvors under applicable Indian legislation for the continuing threat posed to Indian waters and the coastal environment,' the D G Shipping told MSC Shipmanagement. 'Your actions (or lack thereof) may attract prosecution and penalties under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958; Environment (Protection) Act 1986; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Disaster Management Act, 2005, and any other applicable provisions under Indian maritime safety, environmental protection, and disaster management laws,' Jagannathan wrote in the notice. 'Any further delay beyond the specified period will be treated as wilful and deliberate noncompliance, and the government shall proceed to exercise its full legal rights and remedies without further reference,' he added.
