INS Astradharini

INS Astradharini is an indigenously designed and built torpedo launch and recovery vessel built by Shoft Shipyard for the Indian Navy. She was commissioned into Navy Service on 6 October 2015 at the Naval Base in Visakhapatnam. After her commissioning, the ship joined the Eastern Naval Command.

History

The vessel is a replacement for INS Astravahini. INS Astradharini is designed to conduct technical trials of underwater weapons and systems including torpedoes and mines. The ship has a cabin for 13 Researchers in addition to two crew members and 27 sailors.It was developed by the Naval Science and Technology Laboratory under Defence [Research and Development Organisation|DRDO] with assistance from IIT-Kharagpur. The catamaran hulled boat can operate on high sea states and its stability makes it very suitable for carrying passengers and testing weapon systems. Hindustan Shipyards ltd conducted a refit of the ship in 2019 and 2022.