Thu Apr 17 03:11:39 UTC 2025: **India Launches Construction of First Silent Research Ship**
KOCHI, April 17, 2025 – Construction began Wednesday on India’s first silent research vessel, the Acoustic Research Ship (ARS), at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited in Kolkata. The ₹490.98 crore project, contracted between GRSE and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)/Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) in October 2024, is expected to be completed by 2027.
The over 90-meter-long vessel, with a displacement exceeding 5,000 tonnes, will be capable of speeds up to 12 knots. Equipped with advanced technology including a Gondola, Moon pool, Dropkeel, and a Dynamic Positioning System (DP-II), the ARS will significantly enhance India’s underwater acoustic and oceanographic research capabilities. DRDO Secretary Samir V. Kamat attended the steel-cutting ceremony.
First Piper 