INS Nistar Commissioned

Context

INS Nistar, India’s first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV), was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam to support deep-sea diving and submarine rescue operations.

INS Nistar

Platform Overview:

INS Nistar is one of two Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) ordered in 2018; its sister ship INS Nipun is expected to be commissioned soon.
The vessel was indigenously designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited with over 80% indigenous content involving around 120 MSMEs, showcasing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Technical and Operational Capabilities:

Displacement: Approx. 10,500 tonnes; Length: 120 metres; Endurance: 60+ days at sea.
Equipped with air and saturation diving systems, underwater ROVs, side-scan SONAR, and a 15-tonne subsea crane.
Serves as the mothership for a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), acquired from the UK (James Fisher & Sons) in 2018–2019.
Onboard facilities include an operation theatre, ICU, 8-bed hospital, and hyperbaric chamber.

Strategic and Regional Significance:

INS Nistar strengthens India’s capacity for deep-sea submarine rescue operations, crucial for its growing submarine fleet.
Enhances maritime domain awareness, HADR operations, and India’s role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Places India among only 12 countries worldwide with dedicated DSRV capabilities.
Dual-coast deployment: Nistar (Eastern Seaboard, Visakhapatnam) and Nipun (Western Seaboard, Mumbai) ensure rapid, simultaneous response capabilities.