Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches first Fleet Support Ship 'Surya', lays FSS-5 keel and inaugurates upgraded Slipway-4 at Hindustan Shipyard, Visakhapatnam

Key facts

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the first Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1) named 'Surya', laid the keel of FSS-5, and inaugurated the upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath Crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam on October 6, 2026.
• FSS-1, the first of five fleet support ships being built for the Indian Navy, entered the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting.
• The 43,500-tonne Fleet Support Ships will replenish warships at sea, extending the Navy's endurance and reach across the Indian Ocean Region.
• Designed and built indigenously by HSL, the Fleet Support Ships will feature enhanced cargo and fluid capacity, onboard first-line maintenance workshops, a helicopter deck for Multi-Role Helicopter operations and self-defence systems.
• The upgraded Slipway-4, with extended length and enhanced load-bearing capability, enables HSL to build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT.
• The 300-tonne Goliath Crane spanning Slipways 3 and 4 was designed and manufactured by L&T Geostructure with Konecranes under Make in India, and features PLC controls, Variable Frequency Drives, tandem lifting, remote diagnostics and condition monitoring.
• In a separate event, Rajnath Singh witnessed the delivery of the 2,000th aero-engine by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Koraput Division, and announced a second production line for Shakti engines to power helicopters.