While the world obsesses over aircraft carriers and destroyers, India quietly constructed something far more dangerous, a specialized underwater warfare platform that will haunt enemy submarines and divers across the Indian Ocean.
On Tuesday, the Indian Navy commissions its first indigenous Diving Support Craft at Kochi. Don’t let the bland name fool you. This is India’s underwater assassin.
The Beast Lurking Beneath The Waves
This 390-ton catamaran isn’t a support vessel. It’s a strategic weapon disguised as one.
Twin hulls provide rock-solid stability for operations that other vessels can’t attempt. Advanced diving systems allow Indian Navy clearance divers to operate at depths enemies consider safe. Enhanced deck space carries equipment Pakistan’s navy doesn’t even know exists.
Built entirely by Titagarh Rail Systems in Kolkata with zero foreign dependency, this platform underwent punishing tests at NSTL Visakhapatnam that would break conventional vessels.
What Can It Actually Do?
Key Features of India’s First Indigenous Diving Support Vessel
- Supports clearance divers for threat inspection and neutralizing sabotage.
- Handles operations on critical infrastructure such as oil rigs and underwater cables.
- Enables covert salvage missions and combat diver deployment.
- Operates in rough seas with enhanced stability thanks to its twin-hull design.
- First of five vessels, all indigenously designed under the Aatmanirbharta initiative.
- Remaining vessels expected by 2027, providing coverage from Gujarat to the Andamans.
- Strengthens underwater surveillance amid rising regional tensions.
The Nightmare Multiplier
This is vessel number one of five. By 2027, India will have five identical platforms operating simultaneously from Gujarat to the Andamans. Imagine five such vessels, each capable of independent operations, covering thousands of kilometers of coastline.
According to the Ministry of Defence, with its induction, the Indian Navy’s capabilities in diving support, underwater inspection, rescue operations, and coastal deployments will be significantly enhanced. DSC A20 will be stationed in Kochi and operate under the Southern Naval Command.
And here’s the kicker: this is 100% indigenous technology. No foreign approvals. No technology denials. No dependency. India’s underwater warriors are ready, unseen, unstoppable, and invisible to adversaries.
(With ANI Inputs)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
