Indian Navy Commissions Indigenously-Built New Survey Vessel, Ikshak in Kochi

The Indian Navy today boosted its indigenous capabilities with the formal commissioning of the new survey vessel, ‘Ikshak’. The ship, the third in the Survey Vessel (Large) class, was inducted into service at a ceremony held at the Naval Base in Kochi. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, presided over the event. Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata, ‘Ikshak’ stands as a major success for the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, boasting over 80 per cent indigenous content. The vessel will be the first of its class to be based at the Southern Naval Command. Named after the Sanskrit word for ‘Guide,’ the ship is equipped with advanced hydrographic and oceanographic tools, including multi-beam sonars and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. I