The Indian Navy recently took delivery of a new dive support vessel (DSV) designed and built locally by Hindustan Shipyard in Visakhapatnam.
The future INS Nipun is the second of two long-endurance DSVs that will be used primarily for the rescue of crews of distressed submarines. Class lead ship INS Nistar was delivered to the navy in 2025.
The DSV's secondary duties will include patrols, general search and rescue, salvage, underwater inspections, and non-combatant evacuation operations.
The vessel has a length of 118.4 metres, a beam of 22.8 metres, a displacement of 9,350 tonnes, and two diesel engines that deliver a cruising speed of 14 knots and an endurance of 60 days.
Space is available for a deployable submersible deep sea rescue vehicle and remotely operated vehicles used for divers’ monitoring and salvage. A flight deck capable of accommodating a 15-tonne helicopter is installed forward of the superstructure.
The DSV is equipped for conducting deep sea saturation diving to depths of as much as 300 metres. The vessel also has a side diving stage for undertaking diving operations up to 75 metres (250 feet). A 15-tonne crane is fitted for retrieving underwater debris.
Diving operations are supported by a six-person decompression chamber, a diving bell, a moonpool, and a self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboat.