Hindustan Shipyard Seeks Global Partner to build 5 Fleet Support Ships

India’s Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a collaborator to help build five fleet support ships (FSS) for which it has been selected by the Indian Navy.

The commercial and technical bids would be opened on February 6, 2019. The selected partner will collaborate on design, supply of key machinery equipment (KME), technical assistance and implementation towards construction of the five FSS, the RFP note stated.

The collaborator should be a reputed shipyard and has to provide a design from a source who has designed a ship with similar capabilities which is in service with any Navy in the world. The collaborator should have constructed and delivered a naval vessel of similar capabilities/capital warships on or after January 1, 2005 which should have been completed within four years of build period, the note said.

Fleet support ships are supply vessels which provide fuel, water and other material to warships. The Indian Navy plans to increase its fleet substantially and build carrier groups in which the FSS would play an important part.

The four vessels would cost in the region of US$ 1 billion to build.