INS Sandhayak

About INS Sandhayak

• It is the largest survey vessel ever built in India.
• It is fully designed and built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• It is the first in the series of four Survey Vessels (Large), or SVLs, being built by GRSE.
• It is the reincarnation of another ship by that name. The previous warship, also a survey vessel, was commissioned into the Navy in 1981 and decommissioned in 2021. 
• The new INS Sandhayak and the remaining ships in the series are far more advanced than their predecessors. 
• Features:
  • It is a 110-metre-long ship propelled by two marine diesel engines combined with fixed-pitch propellers.
  • It is fitted with bow and stern thrusters to help the ships maneuver at low speeds during surveys.
  • It is capable of full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys of port and harbour approaches and the determination of navigation channels and routes.
  • It can also undertake surveys of maritime limits and the collection of oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications.
  • It can carry a helicopter, participate in low-intensity combat, and function as a hospital ship.
  • It can also be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. 

Q1) What is Hydrography?

Hydrography is the science that measures and describes the physical features of the navigable portion of the Earth's surface and adjoining coastal areas. Hydrographic surveyors study these bodies of water to see what the "floor" looks like. 

Source: On Navy Day, India's sea force gets INS Sandhayak