Indian Navy's SVL Project: 'Nirdeshak' launched to the chanting of Atharva Veda

New Delhi, May 27: ‘Nirdeshak', second of the four Survey Vessels (Large); SVL Project, being built for Indian Navy was launched on May 26, at Tamil Nadu's Kattupalli. The naval vessel made her first contact with the Bay of Bengal, at the Launch Ceremony where Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command was present.

 

 

 

 

In keeping with the Naval maritime tradition, Sarbani Dasgupta, consort of the Vice Admiral, launched the ship to the chanting of invocation from Atharva Veda. The ship has taken its name from erstwhile 'Nirdeshak', which was also an Indian Naval Survey ship and was decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service in Dec 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

Part construction of three out of four ships of SVL is being undertaken at L&T, Kattupalli as part of collaborative approach between Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and L&T shipbuilding. The model of Public Private Partnership is expected to be harbinger of future successful collaboration for warship construction in India. The contract for building four SVL ships was signed between MoD and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata on Oct 30, 2018. The first of class ship ‘Sandhayak’ was launched on Dec 5, 2021 at GRSE, Kolkata.

 

The SVL ships will replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships with new generation hydrographic equipment to collect oceanographic data. The Survey Vessel (Large) ships have a deep displacement of about 3400 tons and a complement of 235 personnel. The ship is designed to operate at cruise speed of 14 knots and maximum speed of 18 knots.