‘Steel Cutting’ Ceremony of the 5th and the last of the five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) was held at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam on 8 May 2026, in the presence of VAdm Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition. CMD, HSL and other senior officials from the Indian Navy and HSL were also present on the occasion.

The Indian Navy had signed a contract with HSL for the acquisition of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) in August 2023, with delivery commencing mid-2027.

On induction, the FSS will bolster the Blue Water capabilities of the Indian Navy through replenishment of Fleet ships at sea. The ships, with a displacement of more than 40,000 tons, will deliver fuel, water, ammunition and stores enabling prolonged deployments of the Fleet ships, thereby enhancing the Fleet’s strategic reach and mobility. In their secondary role, these ships would be equipped for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) for expeditious delivery of relief material and evacuation of personnel.

With a completely indigenous design and sourcing of most of the equipment from indigenous manufacturers, the FSS project will boost the Indian shipbuilding industry in consonance with the government of India’s initiatives of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, ‘Make in India’, and Make for the World.