Swan Defence bags major contract to build training ship for Oman's navy: All you need to know

Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI), one of India's biggest shipbuilders, on Thursday announced that it had bagged a contract to build an advanced naval training ship for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO).

The construction and delivery of the vessel, which is expected to take place over an 18-month period, comes as a major addition to the Gujarat-based shipbuilder's defence-related projects.

Measuring 104.25m in length with a displacement of upto 3500 tonnes, the state-of-the-art training vessel will be equipped with modern classrooms, training offices, and accommodation facilities.

The vessel will also have a feature-rich navigation system, an advanced communications suite, and the capability to conduct helicopter operations, in addition to an auditorium for learning that can seat up to 70 cadets.

"Earning the confidence of the Royal Navy of Oman reinforces SDHI’s commitment to excellence and drives us to consistently deliver high-quality vessels distinguished by innovation, reliability and performance,” said Swan Defence's CEO, Rear Admiral V.K. Saxena (Retd).

This landmark export project is also seen as a major step forward for India's shipbuilding prowess, in line with its maritime ambitions under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

The vessel order also deepens India-Oman maritime ties after the Indian Navy's INSV Kaundinya (MMSI: 419002029), an Indian-flagged stitched sailing vessel, reached Oman's Port Sultan Qaboos on January 14 after completing a historic 18-day voyage from Gujarat's Porbandar.

Inspired by depictions of ancient Indian ships in the Ajanta Caves and constructed entirely using traditional stitched-plank techniques, the point behind this 5th-century-style vessel—named after the legendary seafarer Kaundinya—had been to retrace the historic maritime routes that connected India with the rest of the world.