The Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won an order for part construction of two Fleet Support Ships (FSS) meant for Indian Navy from defence PSU Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).

After the Cabinet Committee on Security gave its nod in August, last year, the Indian Navy signed a contract with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) for design and construction of five FSS at an overall cost of approximately ₹19,000 crore.

Precision Engineering Systems, the business vertical of L&T, got the deal for the part construction of two FSS from the HSL, the L&T said in a statement on Tuesday. “L&T will construct the two Fleet Support Ships at its greenfield shipyard at Kattupalli, near Chennai,” said the private company.

The FSS are specialised naval vessels, which provide logistics and material support to the naval task force at sea. With more than 220 meter in length and approximately 45,000 tonne displacement, the FSS would be amongst the largest vessels in the Indian Naval fleet.

In line with government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, these first-of-its kind vessels to be built in domestic yards, will be concurrently constructed by both the shipyards to meet the challenging delivery timelines. This collaborative approach in shipbuilding will serve as a cornerstone for achieving strategic national objectives of rapidly enhancing the Indian Naval fleet while driving economic activity and technological advancement in India’s maritime domain, the L&T stated.