The Diving Support Vessel (DSV) of the Indian Navy, INS Nistar, is participating in the Exercise Pacific Reach 2025, which is a major multinational submarine rescue exercise and maritime safety exercise taking place in Singapore. Having more than 40 countries involved, this exercise on a bi-annual basis demonstrates the value of global cooperation in the case of underwater emergencies and enhancing naval interoperability.
INS Nistar: Indian Indigenous Asset.
INS Nistar is the latest DSV and was commissioned on 18 July 2025, but it is made with more than 80 percent local components. The ship will be used in submarine rescue and diving operations but under the East Naval Command. Key features include:
- Seabed mapping Side Scan Sonar.
- Underwater observation Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs).
- State-of-the-art deep-sea diving.
India has Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs) with their mother ship being INS Nistar, and this shows how technologically advanced India and concerned with self-reliance is with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat program.
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles of India.
In 2018 and 2019, India inducted two DSRVs that were located on both coasts to be deployed quickly. These vehicles are able to carry the rescue missions to a depth of up to 650 metres below the water, and can be either airlifted or mounted on Vessels of Opportunity (VoO). In the course of Pacific Reach 2025, the Submarine Rescue Unit (East) is being hosted by INS Nistar to operationalize India to counter any submarine-related contingencies.
Structure of Pacific Reach 2025
The exercise is subdivided into two major parts:
Phase harbour (Changi Naval Base)
- Submarine rescue technologies knowledge-sharing.
- Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE).
- Medical conferences, underwater survival and recovery.
- Cross-deck trips to improve understanding of each other in terms of rescue procedures.
Sea Phase (South China Sea)
- Live rescue exercises using entrapments in submarines.
- Intervention exercises to evaluate speedy operations of rescue teams.
- Multinavy underwater interoperability.
The Importance of India Participation.
India has shown its interest in the security of the sea in the region and has expressed readiness to merge with the international naval systems by the deployment of INS Nistar. It not only has exposed Indian crews to the best practices in the world but also enhanced the response capability of India in the event of submarine accidents in Indo-Pacific which is an increasingly important strategic region.
Strategic Implications
- Technological Advantage: INS Nistar enhances the underwater intervention of India.
- Indigenous Push: The defence of the vessel is similar to that of Aatmanirbhar Bharat being that of high indigenous content.
- Global Role: India is an active player in the Indo-Pacific maritime security which has promoted its global image as a responsible stakeholder.
Month: Current Affairs - September 18, 2025
Category: current affairs daily