THE Indian Navy on Monday commissioned INS Nipun, a deep-sea diving vessel to support complex operations, marking a significant enhancement in underwater support capabilities that only a few navies have, officials said. This is the second such deepsea diving vessel commissioned into the Indian Navy after INS Nistar last year. INS Nipun was commissioned in the presence of Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan in Mumbai. Along with her sister ship INS Nistar, INS Nipun substantially enhances the Navy’s specialist diving,underwaterintervention, salvage and submarine rescue support capability, officials said. Indigenously designed and constructed by Hindustan ShipyardLimited, Visakhapatnam, the vessel is 119.4 metres long with a capacity of 10,500 tonnes. It brings together a range of capabilities possessed by only a handful of navies, which includes the ability to embark the Indian Navy’s deep submergence rescue vessel, Admiral Swaminathan said after the commissioning of INS Nipun.

 

The ship has the capacity to support diving operations up to 300 metres. It also has the capability of providing rapid submarine rescue. It can also be deployed for disaster relief and humanitarian operations, the Navy said. INS Nipun is a purpose-built platform designed primarily for deep-sea diving and underwater operations. The ship is capable of supporting saturation, air and heliox diving and is equipped with remotely operated underwater systems for inspection and intervention. Its specialised diving complex, dynamic positioning capability and associated lifesupport and medical facilities enable the conduct of sustained and complex operations at sea, the Navy said. The ship is also capable of supporting submarine rescue operations, further strengthening the Indian Navy’s ability to respond to underwater contingencies.