The Ministry of Defence announced that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will launch the first Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1) for the Indian Navy on 6 October 2026 at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam. The event will also include the keel laying of the fifth ship in the series and the inauguration of upgraded shipyard infrastructure designed to handle larger vessels.
This marks a milestone in India’s domestic shipbuilding programme, demonstrating the country’s capacity to design and construct specialised naval vessels without foreign assistance.
Key facts
- Date of launch: 6 October 2026 at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam
- FSS-1 displaces 43,500 tonnes and took 18 months from steel cutting to launch
- Total vessels in the class: 5 Fleet Support Ships
- Upgraded Slipway-4 can now handle vessels up to 45,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage)
- New Goliath Crane capacity: 300 tonnes
- Attendees include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, and Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar
What Fleet Support Ships do
Fleet Support Ships are specialised vessels designed to resupply warships during extended operations at sea. These ships carry fuel, ammunition, spare parts and provisions, allowing naval vessels to remain deployed far from home ports for longer periods. The FSS class will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s ability to project power across the Indian Ocean Region and conduct sustained operations without returning to base frequently.
The indigenous shipbuilding programme
The Fleet Support Ship programme represents India’s effort to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers for critical naval platforms. Hindustan Shipyard Limited, a public sector undertaking, has designed and is building these vessels using Indian expertise. The 43,500-tonne displacement of each ship makes them substantial platforms comparable to similar vessels operated by other naval forces worldwide.
Expansion of shipyard capacity
The upgraded Slipway-4 at Hindustan Shipyard is a key infrastructure improvement. Previously, the shipyard operated with limitations on the size and weight of vessels it could handle. The newly extended slipway, paired with a 300-tonne Goliath Crane, allows the facility to construct and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT. This expansion enables the yard to undertake larger and more complex naval platforms in the future, supporting not only the Fleet Support Ship series but potentially other major warship classes.
Such infrastructure improvements are critical for India’s Maritime Vision 2030, which aims to strengthen indigenous naval shipbuilding capacity and reduce lead times for acquiring naval vessels.
Series production milestone
The keel laying of FSS-5 during the same event highlights the steady progress of the programme towards full series production. While FSS-1 is being launched after its construction phase, the simultaneous start of FSS-5 indicates that production processes have been refined and accelerated. This suggests that the remaining ships in the class can be built more efficiently than the first vessel, reducing time and cost per ship.
What this means for the Indian Navy
These five Fleet Support Ships will transform the Navy’s operational reach. Currently, Indian warships operating in the Indian Ocean or beyond must return to port or rely on limited at-sea replenishment capabilities. With a dedicated class of five support ships, the Navy can maintain multiple task forces at sea simultaneously for extended periods. This capability is especially important given India’s maritime interests in the Indian Ocean and the growing need for naval presence in distant waters.
For Indian shipyards, this programme validates the capacity to build complex naval vessels on schedule and within budget. Success here provides confidence for awarding more such projects domestically rather than importing them, thereby saving foreign exchange and building technical expertise.
What happens next
Following the launch of FSS-1, the ship will undergo sea trials and fitting-out work before joining the Navy’s operational fleet. The keel laying of FSS-5 marks the beginning of the fifth ship’s construction cycle, while FSS-2, FSS-3 and FSS-4 are presumably in various stages of construction at the shipyard.