India: ABG Shipyard Launches Oceanographic Research Vessel ‘Sindhu Sadhana’

ABG Shipyard has launched ‘RV Sindhu Sadhana’, the first indigenously built vessel designed for the oceanographic research, at a ceremony held on Tuesday in Surat, the Indian state of Gujarat.

The ship has been specially developed for the needs of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), one of the 38 constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), with the aim of plunging deeper into the mysteries of the sea, targeting hidden resources of mineral and food, reports the Times of India.

According to the director general of CSIR SK Brahmachari, who attended the ceremony, launching of this vessel will mark India’s entrance into the elite club of the developed nations following the research and development (R&D) in the field of oceanography.

With the 80 meters in length and gross displacement of 4,170 tons, the vessel has the ability of developing a maximum speed of 14 knots.

The new multi-disciplinary oceanographic research vessel will have capabilities to undertake basin scale observations and will enable Indian oceanographers to take up studies not only in the seas around India, but also in any part of the Indian Ocean. It is aimed to serve as a stable platform for data acquisition.

The vessel has enough capacity to accommodate 57 persons including 21 scientists.

“The shipyard has so far built and delivered more than 157 ships of different complexities for domestic and international customers,” Subas Gantayat, vice-president (HR and administration) of ABG Shipyard said.

[mappress]
World Maritime News Staff, August 1, 2012; Image: nio