Recently, Indian Navy launched ‘Ikshak’, the third of the four survey vessels (Large) project at Kattupalli in Tamil Nadu.

About

• The ship, named ‘Ikshak’ which means ‘Guide’, is being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Larson and Toubro (L&T).
• The ship’s name honours the role that Survey ships have played in ensuring the safety of mariners when at sea.
• The first of class ship ‘Sandhayak’was launched on December 5, 2021 at GRSE, Kolkata. SVL ships will replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships with new generation hydrographic equipment to collect oceanographic data.
• Despite challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, L&T and GRSE have made substantial progress and aim to deliver ‘Ikshak’ by Oct 2023. Launch of the third Survey Vessel reinforces our resolve for indigenous shipbuilding as part of our Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India’, and thrust to the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
• The Survey Vessels Large will have over 80% indigenous content by cost. This will also ensure that large scale defence production are executed by Indian manufacturing units thereby generating employment and capability build up within the country

About the ship

• The Survey Vessel (Large) ships are 110 m long, and 16 m wide with a deep displacement of 3400 tons and a complement of 231 personnel.
• The ship’s propulsion system consists of two main engines with twin shafts, each capable of a maximum speed of 18 knots and a cruise speed of 14 knots.