Indian Navy Inaugurates Submarine Rescue LARS Test Plinth in Visakhapatnam

20 August 2026National

A new shore-based Launch and Recovery System (LARS) Test Plinth was inaugurated on 19 August 2026 at the Submarine Rescue Unit (East) in Visakhapatnam by Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. LARS deploys and recovers a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), used to evacuate crew from a disabled submarine; the facility enables shore-based trials and maintenance without an active maritime deployment. It follows a run of naval capability additions this month — INS Nipun's commissioning (2 Aug) and the ₹1,943-crore MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone lease (18 Aug).

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Eastern Naval Command headquarters: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | Western Naval Command HQ: Mumbai; Southern Naval Command HQ: Kochi | DSRV = Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle

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