Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will undertake multiple significant activities at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam on October 06, 2026, demonstrating India's indigenous shipbuilding capabilities. The events include launching the first Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1), laying the keel of the fifth Fleet Support Ship (FSS-5), and inauguring upgraded infrastructure facilities.
The infrastructure upgrades comprise Slipway-4, which has been extended in length and enhanced in load-bearing capability, and a new 300-tonne Goliath Crane. These enhancements will enable the shipyard to construct and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT, significantly expanding its capacity to undertake large and complex platforms.
The FSS-1 represents the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy, with the vessel entering the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting. These are substantial 43,500-tonne vessels designed to replenish warships at sea, thereby extending the Indian Navy's endurance and operational reach across the Indian Ocean Region. The keel laying of FSS-5 marks the program's steady progress toward series production.
The event will be attended by Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu (Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh), Admiral Krishna Swaminathan (Chief of the Naval Staff), and Shri Sanjeev Kumar (Secretary, Defence Production), among other dignitaries.