Indian Navy commissions first indigenous Diving Support Craft DSC A20 in Kochi
New Delhi, December 16. The Indian Navy on December 16 commissioned DSC A20, the first of five indigenously built Diving Support Craft, at a ceremony held at the Naval Base in Kochi. The vessel has been constructed by Titagarh Rail System Limited, marking a significant step in strengthening the Navy’s specialised underwater support capabilities.
The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, and hosted by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition. Senior naval officers, representatives of Titagarh Rail System Limited and other distinguished guests were present on the occasion.
The contract for the construction of five Diving Support Craft was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Titagarh Rail System Limited on February 12, 2021. During the design phase, hydrodynamic analysis and model testing of the craft were carried out at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam.
Designed and built in accordance with the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping, DSC A20 is a catamaran-hull vessel with a displacement of around 390 tonnes. Equipped with advanced diving systems, the craft is intended to support underwater repair and inspection tasks, harbour clearance operations and other critical diving missions in coastal waters.
Naval officials said the commissioning of DSC A20 represents another milestone in the Indian Navy’s push for indigenous shipbuilding and aligns with the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) initiative. The successful construction of such a specialised platform in India underscores the country’s growing domestic capabilities and reduced reliance on imports for defence requirements.
