The vessel was side-launched into the Hooghly River at 1455 hrs during a ceremony attended by approximately 150 employees. The launch and naming were conducted by Deepa Sivakumar, the wife of Vice Admiral B Sivakumar.
The Diving Support Crafts are designed as catamaran-type vessels and feature indigenously sourced systems to assist the Navy’s Command Clearance Diving Teams.
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The crafts will be employed for underwater missions, including inspection, repair, maintenance, and salvage operations in harbour and near-shore environments.
Umesh Chowdhary, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Titagarh Rail Systems, remarked, “The launch of DSC A23 (YARD 328) signifies steady advancement in our commitment to provide specialized vessels for the Indian Navy.
This highlights our ongoing focus on bolstering indigenous capabilities in defense manufacturing and shipbuilding and emphasizes our unwavering efforts to enhance our shipbuilding capacities while consistently delivering essential vessels for the nation.”
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Beyond operational deployment, the DSCs will also function as training platforms for the Navy’s diving personnel, aiding in capability development and readiness.
Vice Admiral B Sivakumar, AVSM, VSM, COM, Indian Navy, stated: “It was an honor to inaugurate DSC A23 (YARD 328), a significant milestone that embodies dedicated teamwork, engineering excellence, and India’s advancing self-reliance in defense manufacturing.
Launched in Kolkata, a city renowned for its maritime heritage, this indigenously built 30-meter catamaran will bolster diving and underwater operations in coastal waters. He praised the strong collaboration among the Indian Navy, the shipyard, and industry partners, expressing confidence that such indigenous initiatives will further enhance India’s maritime strength.”
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On Friday (April 17), shares of Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd closed at ₹742.00, an increase of ₹4.80, or 0.65%, on the BSE.
