Fourth Diving Support Craft launched in Kolkata, boosting Navy’s Underwater operations capability
New Delhi, April 20. The fourth vessel in the Indian Navy’s five-ship Diving Support Craft (DSC) programme, DSC A 23, was launched on April 19 at the Titagarh shipyard in Kolkata, marking another milestone in the Navy’s push to strengthen its underwater operational capabilities.
The launch ceremony, steeped in naval tradition, was presided over by Deepa Sivakumar and attended by Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar, Chief of Materiel, along with senior officials from the Navy and Titagarh Rail Systems Limited.
Being constructed by Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, the Diving Support Craft feature a 30-metre catamaran hull with a displacement of around 380 tonnes. The design provides enhanced stability, greater deck space, and superior sea-keeping characteristics, enabling effective diving operations in coastal waters and harbour areas.
The vessels have been designed and built in line with the naval standards laid down by the Indian Register of Shipping. The project also underwent detailed model testing and hydrodynamic studies at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam to optimise performance.
Once inducted, the DSC fleet will significantly enhance the Navy’s capacity for diving support, underwater inspection, salvage operations, and coastal deployments. With nearly 70 percent of the equipment sourced from domestic manufacturers, the project reflects the government’s emphasis on self-reliance in defence production under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.
