INS Sandhayak

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About INS Sandhayak:

It is the first in a series of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships being constructed at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata
The primary purpose of the ship is to conduct comprehensive coastal and deep-water Hydrographic Surveys for Port and Harbour approaches, as well as determining navigational channels and routes.
The operational zone extends up to maritime limits, covering the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf.
Additionally, the vessel is equipped to gather oceanographic and geophysical data, serving both defence and civil applications.
In its secondary role, the ship can offer limited defence capabilities and serve as a hospital ship during wartime or emergencies.
It is equipped with cutting-edge hydrographic tools, including a Data Acquisition and Processing System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle, DGPS Long-range positioning systems, and Digital side-scan sonar.
Powered by two diesel engines, the vessel boasts a speed capability exceeding 18 knots.
Measuring 110 meters in length and displacing 3400 tons, INS Sandhayak has an indigenous content of over 80 per cent by cost.
This ship is re-incarnated in its present avatar from erstwhile Sandhayak, which was decommissioned in 2021.

Q1: What is an “exclusive economic zone”?

It is an area of the ocean, generally extending 200 nautical miles (230 miles) beyond a nation’s territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and nonliving resources.

Source:INS Sandhayak, first Survey Vessel Large ship, commissioned into Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri in Visakhapatnam