After 38 years of illustrious service, INS Nirupak decommissioned
INS Nirupak decommissioned at Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam: After 38 years of illustrious service to the nation, the Indian Navy’s indigenously designed survey ship INS Nirupak was decommissioned.
The ship, the third of its class, was launched on June 4, 1981, at GRSE and commissioned into service on August 14, 1985 by Vice Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni, the then Chief of Naval Staff. The ship is based at Visakhapatnam under the administrative and operational control of Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
In recognition of its relentless dedication to the field of hydrography, INS Nirupak was awarded the Admiral Jal Cursetji Rolling Trophy for the best survey ship in the years 1994, 1995, 2005 and 2009.
Actively engaged in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, including Operation Gambhir (Tsunami Relief) in 2004, offering critical relief as a hospital ship to Indonesia, INS Nirupak leaves an enduring legacy of maritime excellence, having charted the seas for 38 years.
Its hydrographic survey has not only shaped naval operations but also played a pivotal role in advancing scientific understanding of oceanography. The data collected by INS Nirupak has been instrumental in enhancing navigational safety in the Indian Ocean Region, including foreign countries.
With a legacy of spanning 20 Commanding Officers, INS Nirupak has been an enduring symbol of maritime prowess. With the sunset on January 29, the naval ensign and the commissioning pendant were ceremoniously hauled down for the last time in the presence of officers and sailors, who served onboard, marking the poignant decommissioning of the vessel.
The decommissioning of INS Nirupak marks the end of an era, yet, it paves the way for a new chapter in the Indian Navy’s survey capabilities. The ceremony organised on Monday was presided by Vice Admiral Adhir Arora, Chief Hydrographer to the government of India at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.
Four state-of-the-art survey ships are anticipated to join the survey fleet between 2024 and 2026. Equipped with cutting-edge technology and advancements, these vessels are expected to enhance India’s hydrographic capabilities, contributing to maritime navigation, scientific research and disaster response. The strategic vision behind the survey fleet expansion underscores the commitment to staying at the forefront of maritime excellence by the Indian Navy.