LAUNCH AND KEEL LAYING OF FLEET SUPPORT SHIPS

FSS-1, the first of the Fleet Support Ships being constructed at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, was launched on October 6, 2026. The ceremony also marked the keel laying of the fifth Fleet Support Ship (FSS-5) and the inauguration of an Augmented Slipway at HSL. These indigenously designed and built ships feature over 82 percent indigenous content and are intended to augment the Indian Navy's 'Blue Water' capabilities by replenishing fleet ships at sea. Additionally, the ships are designed to bolster operational logistics, strategic reach, and mobility, while also possessing secondary roles in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO).