INS Nistar Makes Maiden Port Call In Singapore For Multinational Exercise Pacific Reach 2025
INS Nistar makes its maiden port call at Singapore ahead of Exercise Pacific Reach 2025 with the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet. Image courtesy: X.com/@PIB_India
The Indian Navy’s latest indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel (DSV), Indian Naval Ship (INS) Nistar, has made its maiden port call at Changi, Singapore, on September 15, 2025, ahead of its participation in the multinational Exercise Pacific Reach 2025 (XPR 25) beginning September 22.
Operating under the Eastern Fleet, INS Nistar will represent India in the biennial exercise hosted by Singapore, which will see participation from over 40 nations as either active participants or observers.
The exercise will be conducted in two phases — harbour and sea — with a focus on submarine rescue operations and naval interoperability.
What will INS Nistar do at the exercise?
During the week-long harbour phase, participating nations will engage in subject matter expert exchanges, medical symposiums, discussions on submarine rescue systems, and cross-deck visits.
The sea phase will witness INS Nistar and the Submarine Rescue Unit (East) undertaking complex submarine intervention and rescue drills alongside international assets in the South China Sea.
Commissioned on July 18, 2025, INS Nistar serves as a symbol of India’s push towards self-reliance in naval shipbuilding, boasting an impressive 80% indigenisation rate.
The vessel is equipped with advanced capabilities, including Side Scan Sonar, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and deep-sea diving systems, enabling it to serve as a mothership (MoSHIP) for India’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).
What does Exercise Pacific Reach aim to achieve?
India inducted two Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs) between 2018 and 2019, one each for the eastern and western seaboards, capable of operating at depths up to 650 meters. This milestone placed India among a select group of nations with dedicated submarine rescue systems.
These assets can be rapidly deployed by air or loaded onto vessels of opportunity, allowing swift responses to submarine emergencies across distant seas.
The biennial Exercise Pacific Reach aims to streamline global submarine rescue procedures, promote best practices, and enhance interoperability between navies. By deploying INS Nistar in its first major multinational engagement, India underscores its growing role in ensuring regional maritime security and underwater rescue readiness.
