VESSEL REVIEW | A20 – Indian Navy dive support vessel for harbour and coastal waters

Privately-owned Indian shipbuilder Titagarh Rail Systems (TRSL) recently handed over a new catamaran dive support vessel (DSV) to the Indian Navy.

Designated A20, the vessel is one of five that TRSL has been contracted to build for the Indian Navy. In addition to being used for dive support, the vessels may also be used for diver training in harbours and coastal waters, marine salvage, and repair/maintenance of other vessels.

Long endurance for coastal operations

A20 and her sisters will also complement the navy’s larger Nistar-class DSVs, which are designed primarily for submarine rescue missions and are therefore optimised for operation in deeper offshore waters.

The newbuild has a length of 32.9 metres (108 feet), a beam of 13 metres (43 feet), a displacement of approximately 380 tons, and space for 18 crewmembers. Two 1,342kW (1,800hp) main engines propel the vessel to a service speed of 12 knots and give it a maximum endurance of 72 hours.

First in a new class

The hydrodynamic analysis and model testing of the ship during the design stage were undertaken at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam.

The DSV also has a weapon mount for a 12.7mm machine gun for self-defence purposes. The main and auxiliary equipment have meanwhile been sourced from indigenous manufacturers in line with the Indian Government’s “make in India” initiative.

All five DSVs in the class are scheduled to be handed over by TRSL to the Indian Navy by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Construction of the ships is being undertaken in compliance with the requirements of the Indian Register of Shipping.