Port Blair: Indian Navy plans to acquire
at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore its second floating dock
which will be stationed at the strategically key Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
Floating Dock Navy-1 (FDN1) is currently put into
optimum use and with the number of warships stationed on the
coast set to increase significantly in the next decade, the
need was felt for the second one.
Japanese-built FDN1, which was designed by Indian
Institute of Technology, is the only floating dock of Navy and
has a lifting capacity of 11,500 tonnes.
The Navy has already floated expression of interest for
FDN-2 and plans for procurement are in an advanced stage, a
Navy official said.
"We are actually looking worldwide," he said.
Unlike FDN-1, Japan is not said to be one of the
contenders for the proposed FDN-2 contract for some reasons.
At this stage, it appears to be Russians and Germans who are
among the front-runners to bag the deal, sources said.
FDN-2 will, however, be smaller. It will have a lifting
capacity of around 8,000 tonnes, officials said.
While FDN-1 was procured at a cost of around Rs 250
crore to Rs 300 crore, the acquisition price for the second
one is expected to be in the same bracket, sources said.
"FDN-1 can dock all ships except aircraft carrier and oil
tankers of Indian Navy," the official said.
FDN-1 was integrated in 2001 with the Naval Ship Repair
Yard (Port Blair), the only repair yard at Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
NSRY (PB), which undertakes refit tasks along with
operational shipload, meanwhile, has plans to commission a
technical services complex, and make provisions for wet basin
and refit jetty, boat repair shop and an electrical shop, as
part of its new initiatives.
PTI
