Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday launched the Indian Navy’s first indigenously built Fleet Support Ship, FSS-1 Surya, at Hindustan Shipyard in Visakhapatnam.

Surya is 223.6 metres long and displaces about 43,500 tonnes. It can carry 20,000 tonnes of diesel, 2,500 tonnes of aviation fuel and 1,000 tonnes of fresh water.

The ship will refuel and resupply warships at sea, letting the Navy stay deployed longer across the Indian Ocean and beyond. It has onboard workshops for emergency repairs and a helicopter deck.

Singh also laid the keel for the fifth and final ship of the series, FSS-5. He inaugurated an upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath crane at the shipyard.

The five ships are being built under a Rs 19,000-crore contract signed in August 2023. They have 82 per cent indigenous content. Surya is expected to be inducted by mid-2027.

Once commissioned, the class will be the largest vessels in the Navy by displacement, bigger than its aircraft carriers.