Indigenous multi-purpose vessel INS Samarthak, built at Kattupalli (Tamil Nadu), to be commissioned

14-10-2026 · English

Topics: Defence · 14 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

INS Samarthak, the first Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) built at Larsen & Toubro's (L&T) Kattupalli shipyard in Tamil Nadu, is to be commissioned at Naval Base Karwar, Karnataka, on 16 Oct 2026. About 107 m long and 3,750 tonnes, with over 75% indigenous content, it will tow targets, launch and recover torpedoes, test indigenous weapons and sensors, act as a mothership for unmanned systems and support disaster relief.

Key facts

Background

• Roles: launching and recovering targets and torpedoes, towing, salvage, mothership for unmanned systems, maritime surveillance, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR); it can be converted into a small hospital ship.
• Naval Base Karwar – 'Project Seabird', INS Kadamba; being developed as one of Asia's largest naval bases.
• Note: the ship is not yet commissioned (16 Oct is the scheduled date). There is no ship named 'Shaktak' – the second ship is 'Utkarsh'.

Tamil Nadu link: Samarthak was built at L&T's Kattupalli shipyard in Tiruvallur district near Chennai (near Ennore and Kamarajar Port) and launched there on 14 Oct 2024 in the presence of Navy chief Adm Dinesh K. Tripathi.

Source: India Strategic, BharatShakti, Amar Ujala, 13 Oct 2026; The Defense Post; WION (2024)

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