INS Nistar

INS Nistar, India’s first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV), was officially commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 July in Visakhapatnam.

• Built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), INS Nistar is the inaugural vessel of a two-ship series, marking a pivotal advancement in India’s underwater warfare and rescue operations.
• This state-of-the-art vessel is equipped for complex deep-sea saturation diving and critical submarine rescue missions, a sophisticated capability currently held by only a handful of navies worldwide.
• The DSV boasts cutting-edge technology, including Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), a Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboat, and advanced Diving Compression Chambers, enabling it to conduct salvage operations at depths of up to 300 meters. It will also serve as a crucial mother ship for the Indian Navy’s deep submergence rescue vessel.
• With over 80% indigenous content and the active involvement of 120 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the 118-meter-long vessel, displacing over 10,000 tons, significantly enhances India’s capabilities in undersea operations and rescue, replacing an older Soviet-origin ship decommissioned in the 1980s.