INS Sandhayak

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