This article originally appeared at: https://www.eurasiareview.com/18072025-ins-nistar-a-story-of-passing-on-the-baton-of-a-rich-legacy-analysis/
As the Indian Navy prepares to commission its first indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV), Nistar, at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, on July 18, it will not only boost its submarine support operations but also carry forward a rich legacy.
The new DSV carries forward the legacy of its predecessor, ex-Nistar, a submarine rescue vessel acquired from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971. The original Nistar served the Navy for two decades, playing a vital role in submarine rescue and diving operations.
In the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, the ex-INS Nistar, a submarine rescue vessel, played a crucial role in locating and investigating the sunken Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi. Commissioned in 1971, the ship played a crucial role in locating the wreckage and recovering vital intelligence documents.
Divers from Nistar accessed the Ghazi’s tower and recovered critical documents that provided valuable intelligence to India. The ship, equipped with a submarine rescue bell, could dry mate with submarines and provided essential diving support during the search and recovery operations.
After the war, Nistar was relocated to Kochi and utilised for training clearance divers, becoming a key asset for the Indian Navy’s diving operations.
The new ship’s motto, Surakshita Yatharthta Shauryam — which translates to Deliverance with Precision and Bravery — reflects its mission profile and operational capabilities. With cutting-edge deep-sea diving systems, Nistar strengthens our operational capability and stands ready to rescue personnel from distressed submarines.
The ship has been indigenously designed and constructed by state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited. It boasts over 80% indigenous content, aligning with India’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing. It will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep-sea diving and submarine rescue operations.
At around 120 metres long and displacing more than 10,000 tonnes, the new INS Nistar is equipped with a Dynamic Positioning System that allows it to maintain its position with high accuracy during complex operations. Its onboard diving complex includes both air and saturation diving systems, along with underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Side Scan SONAR, significantly expanding its operational scope.
As the ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), the vessel will enhance the Navy’s submarine rescue preparedness. The ship is also equipped with an operating theatre, an intensive care unit, an eight-bed hospital, and hyperbaric medical facilities, which are crucial for supporting rescue and diving missions.
With an endurance of over 60 days at sea, the capacity for helicopter operations and a 15-ton subsea crane, INS Nistar is expected to be a versatile addition to India’s maritime fleet. The induction of INS Nistar will boost India’s underwater operational capability and strengthen its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region.
The commissioning of Nistar and its induction into the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command will not only enhance India’s operational preparedness in the underwater domain but will also reinforce its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region. The vessel strengthens India’s maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), contributing to the nation’s role as a net security provider and supporting the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative.
