India has launched its first satellite and nuclear-missile tracking ship INS (Indian Naval Ship) Dhruv. It is the first of its kind ocean surveillance ship (OSS) that is capable of tracking ballistic missiles at a long-range.
- It was launched by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh from Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), its commission site.
- It will be under the control of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), and will advance India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Gulf of Aden to the South China Sea via Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, Ombai, and Wetar straits.
INS Dhruv Development:
i.It is built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in collaboration with the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation).
ii.It has been designed in India by New Delhi-headquartered Vik Sandvik Design India Pvt. Ltd. (VSDI).
iii.Its outlay is around Rs 750 crore.
iv.Its code designation is VC-11184.
Key features:
i.The ship was built inside the covered dry dock.
ii.It has the capacity to carry a 300-crew with hi-tech gadgets and communication equipment, powered by two diesel engines, and a large deck capable of helicopter landing.
iii.It is equipped with the DRDO developed state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that can scan and monitor spy satellites.
- It will provide early warning of attacks by ballistic missiles launched from Pakistan and China.
iv.It will also be able to map ocean beds for research and detection of enemy submarines.
v.It will also help in monitoring the flight trajectories and telemetry data of the Agni land-based missiles and ‘K’ series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles launched by India.
It should be noted that with the induction of INS Dhruv, India joins France, the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Russia, and China, who possess and operate such ships.
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Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirappalli (OFT) handed over the 1st Batch of 25 Indigenously produced 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Gun (SRCG) systems to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
About Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)
Establishment– 1952
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Hemant Khatri
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence
Headquarter– Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
