INS Deepak

INS Deepak
History
India
Name	Deepak
Namesake	Oil lamp
Builder	Fincantieri
Yard number	6186
Launched	13 February 2010
Commissioned	21 January 2011
Identification	IMO number: 9601950 MMSI number: 419095100 Callsign: AVDL
Motto	Anything, Anywhere
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Deepak-class fleet tanker
Displacement	19,150 t (18,850 long tons) (light) 27,000 t (27,000 long tons) (maximum)
Length	175 m (574 ft 2 in)
Beam	25 m (82 ft 0 in)
Draft	9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) (Maximum)
Depth	19.3 m (63 ft 4 in)
Decks	10
Installed power	2 x MAN diesel engines, 18.6 MW (24,900 hp)
Propulsion	Single shaft; controllable-pitch propeller
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Endurance	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	248[1] 180 ratings and 20 officers

INS Deepak is a Deepak-class fleet tanker built by Fincantieri. Deepak was launched on 13 February 2010 and commissioned on 21 January 2011.^[2][3]

Design and description

Capacity

The Deepak-class tanker can carry 17,900 tonnes (17,600 long tons; 19,700 short tons) of cargo, including 15,500 tonnes (15,300 long tons; 17,100 short tons) tons of liquid cargo (water, ship and aircraft fuel) and 500 tonnes (490 long tons; 550 short tons) tons of solid cargo (victuals and ammunition). The vessel can handle 16 cargo containers on the upper deck and was equipped with an eight-bed hospital, with laboratory and X-ray facilities.^[4] The modern cargo handling facility on board the ship enables transfer of heavy solid cargo via a 30-tonne (30-long-ton; 33-short-ton) capacity deck crane, and simultaneous fueling of multiple ships at sea, and can refuel at the rate of 1,500 tonnes (1,500 long tons; 1,700 short tons) per hour.^[2][5] Deepak can refuel four ships at the same time.^[6] Workshop facilities on the ship can support other ships of the fleet and it is capable of supporting heavy helicopters.^[7]

Construction

Deepak was delivered within a record 27 months.^[6] There were allegations of the then ruling UPA government having engaged in corruption by allowing Fincantieri to build Shakti (Deepak's sister ship) and Deepak using commercial grade steel, instead of military grade steel as per the norm. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) questioned in 2010 why the order was not given to Rosoboronexport, which had offered to use military grade steel for the construction of the tankers. The CAG also questioned the excess supply of spare parts worth $6 million (equivalent to $8,383,336 in 2023), and the inadequate purchases from Indian industry. The two tankers cost $200 million (equivalent to $279,444,529 in 2023). Fincantieri reportedly used DH-36 civilian grade steel instead of the DMR-249A military grade steel as stipulated.^[8] India Today reported that the Defense Minister of the succeeding government, Manohar Parrikar, had ordered a probe into the matter.^[9] The Defence Ministry issued a press release the next day, clarifying that no probe had been ordered,^[10] and that steel of an inferior quality had not been used, but did not clarify why military grade steel was not used.^[11] The same day, Kirit Somaiya, an MP on the Public Accounts Committee, demanded a probe into the matter.^[12]

Service history

INS Viraat approaching Deepak for refueling

Deepak, along with INS Delhi took part in India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise (IBSAMAR III) during October 2012. These ships docked at Durban for three days as part of the deployment.^[4][13]

Deepak and Delhi, along with INS Trishul and the INS Tabar, visited Dubai in September 2015. Deepak and Delhi, along with INS Tarkash, visited Dubai on 1 June 2016 for a four-day visit, and the three ships conducted exercises with the UAE Navy.^[14]

INS Vikrant (R11) and its Carrier Battle Group (CBG), including Deepak, took part in the biennial Exercise Konkan 2025 with the Royal Navy's UK Carrier Strike Group 2025 (UK CSG 25), a formation centred on HMS Prince of Wales (R09), between 5 and 12 October 2025 off the Western Coast of India. This is the maiden instance of a dual carrier operation between the countries.^[15][16][17] While the UK CSG included HMS Richmond (F239) and RFA Tidespring (A136) along with HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F311) of the Royal Norwegian Navy and JS Akebono (DD-108) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force,^[18] the Indian Navy's CBG included INS Kolkata (D63), INS Mormugao (D67), INS Surat (D69), INS Tabar (F44) and INS Teg (F45).^[19][20] The 2021 edition, named Konkan Shakti, was the largest exercise in the series in which all three services of both countries participated. On 8 October, the Indian Air Force deployed its Su-30MKI and Jaguar aircraft for a one-day exercise with the group.^[21][16][17]

See also

• INS Jyoti, another tanker of the Indian Navy
• INS Aditya, another tanker of the Indian Navy

References

1. "INS Deepak". Surface fleet. Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
2. "Indian Navy strengthens far-reaching capability". Sify. 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
3. "First Fleet Tanker For Indian Navy Launched At Muggiano". 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
4. "Indian vessels dock in Durban Harbour". IOL. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
5. "INS Shakti inducted into the Indian navy". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
6. Mehta, Tejas (21 January 2011). "Meet INS Deepak, Navy's new super-tanker". NDTV. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
7. "INS Shakti commissioned". The Hindu. 2 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
8. Joshi, Saurabh (20 August 2010). "CAG pokes finger at inferior steel in navy tankers". StratPost. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
9. Sawant, Gaurav C (13 May 2016). "Naval officer red-flagged purchase of ships with inferior steel from Italian firm". India Today. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
10. "No Probe Ordered Into Steel Quality Of Navy Tanker: Defence Ministry". NDTV. 14 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
11. "Navy Rejects Report on Inferior Quality Steel Used in Tanker". News18. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
12. "BJP lawmaker seeks probe into 'favour' shown to Italian shipping firm". Hindustan Times. 14 May 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
13. "Indian warships to visit SA". News 24. 3 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
14. Jain, Smriti (1 June 2016). "Indian Navy's warships INS Delhi, INS Tarkash & INS Deepak visit Dubai to boost ties with gulf nations". Financialexpress. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
15. "Exercise Konkan - 2025 commences on the Western Seaboard" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 5 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
16. "UK Carrier Strike Group strengthens partnership with India" (Press release). UK Government. 6 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
17. "U.K. and India launch historic Carrier Strike Group Exercise Konkan". The Hindu. 5 October 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
18. Redacción (7 October 2025). "For the first time, the aircraft carriers HMS Prince of Wales and INS Vikrant of the UK and Indian navies trained together in the Indian Ocean". Zona Militar. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
19. Mahadzir, Dzirhan (7 October 2025). "U.K., Indian Navy Carrier Strike Groups Conduct First Ever Dual Carrier Operations". USNI News. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
20. "The UK's Carrier Strike Group forms up with the Indian Navy and Japanese ship Akebono". Defence Imagery. 6 October 2025. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
21. "Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group leaves the Pacific and begins exercise with Indian Navy". Navy Lookout. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.