India's first domestically-built oceanographic research vessel, the RV Sindhu Sadhana, was launched from the Marmugao Harbor in Goa early this week.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh dedicated ship to the nation during the launching ceremonies. The ship will be operated by the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).

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Sindhu Sadhna is a multi-disciplinary research vessel equipped with laboratories for data collection, echo sounders, an acoustic Doppler radar, an autonomous weather station and air quality monitors, among other research equipment.

The ship, which cost US$32 million to build, can accommodate 21 scientists apart from its crew of 35 men.

NIO intends to use the oceanographic research vessel to undertake basin scale observations. The ship will also enable Indian oceanographers to study the seas around India, and in any part of the Indian Ocean.

NIO sees the ship as a stable platform allowing operation of modern equipment and underway data acquisition. Much of the oceanographic work will take place on the ship's spacious stern deck that has an area of 250 square meters.

The stern will allow 24 meter piston coring and other operations. The ship's design provides a dry working deck with provisions for allowing safe access for the deployment and recovery of free-floating equipment to and from the water.  Its low free board assists in making coring operations easier.

An A-Frame in the stern will be capable of handling remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and submersibles. A new generation oceanographic winch system will be used for trawling or coring steel wire cable.

The RV Sindhu Sadhana succeeds the RV Gaveshani that was decommissioned in 1994. It will work closely with the Coastal Research Vessel, Sagar Sukti.

The RV Sindhu Sadhana is 80 meters long and can travel at up to 12 knots.  It carries the official number 3635; has the Flag Sign-AVCO and MMSI No.419091900.