FSS Surya launch: Why has the Navy waited so long, and why does the Indian Ocean demand them?

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Surya, the first of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam on October 6. At the same ceremony, he laid the keel of the fifth ship and inaugurated an upgraded slipway that will allow HSL to build and launch ships of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnes.

A launch is not an induction. Surya has not yet entered operational service; it will now be fitted out and put through trials. The ship is expected to be inducted in mid-2027.