NEWS – Indian Navy commissioned its latest survey vessel, Sandhayak, at Naval Dockyard in Vizag

INS SANDHAYAK

• First in a series of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships
• Constructed at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata
• Primary Purpose – conduct comprehensive coastal and deep-water Hydrographic Surveys + determining navigational channels and routes + limited defense capabilities + serve as a hospital ship during wartime or emergencies
• Operational zone – maritime limits (Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf)
• Equipped
  • To gather oceanographic and geophysical data, serving both defence and civil applications
  • Cutting-edge hydrographic tools, including a Data Acquisition and Processing System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle, DGPS Long-range positioning systems, and Digital side-scan sonar
• Powered by two diesel engines
• Speed capability exceeding 18 knots
• Length – 110 meters + Displacement – 3400 tons + 80 per cent indigenous content
• Erstwhile Sandhayak, which was decommissioned in 2021