Diving Support Craft (DSC) are a series of 5 small-category diving support vessels being built for the Indian Navy by Titagarh Rail Systems Limited.
History The ships are designed and equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus to support diving operations in coastal under water environment. The vessels are designed to meet the mission needs of Command Clearance Diving Teams (CCDTs). A contract worth was signed between Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) and the Indian Navy on 12 February 2021. Diving support vessels are important for both military and commercial diving. They are used for underwater work such as inspecting and maintaining pipelines, well-heads, and mobile platforms. They will be used for providing diving assistance to all ships inside and close to harbour for underwater repair, maintenance and salvage.
The ships have been indigenously designed and built in accordance with the naval rules and regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), and the systems were tested at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of DRDO. They are 30 m long catamaran hull ships, with a displacement of around 380 tons. The ships are designed with a two-man Re-Compression Chamber (RCC). About 70% of main and auxiliary equipment are sourced from indigenous contractors.
The first ship, DSC A20, was delivered on 18 September 2025. DSC A20 was commissioned on 16 December 2025 at Naval Base, Kochi which will also be its homeport under the Southern Naval Command. It was the 11th ship of the Navy commissioned in the year.
Ships in the class Pennant Yard Number Laid Down Launched DeliveredCommissionedHomeport Status A20 325 27 January 2022 31 August 202316 September 202516 December 2025Kochi Active A21 326 5 May 2022 30 October 2023Launched A22 327 12 August 2022 13 September 2025 A23 328 17 January 2023 19 April 2026 A24 329 31 August 20231 August 2026
See also Future of the Indian Navy Nistar-class diving support vessel
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