The Indian Navy is gearing up for a historic International Fleet Review (IFR) in 2026 at Visakhapatnam, a venue laden with significance from the 1971 war. Pakistan’s exclusion from the event, alongside China, amplifies the sting, as the port city is where their submarine PNS Ghazi was sunk by Indian forces, never to resurface.
During the war, PNS Ghazi aimed to sink INS Vikrant but fell victim to INS Rajput’s decoy tactics, plunging into the Bay of Bengal. The wreck’s discovery was courtesy of INS Nistar’s diving team. Remarkably, half a century later, an advanced, homegrown INS Nistar returns to these waters for IFR, joining the indigenous INS Vikrant in a display of naval might.
This 10,000-ton behemoth, launched in 2025, fills a long-standing void in India’s submarine rescue capabilities. Paired with sister ship INS Nipun under the Nistar-class project, it’s equipped for the most challenging deep-sea operations. Hindustan Shipyard delivered the first vessel post a 2018 deal, overcoming pandemic hurdles to achieve 80% indigenous content.
Key features include state-of-the-art gear for deploying DSRVs, enabling rescues from extreme depths. Capable of 18 knots, the 120-meter vessel ensures rapid response in submersible crises, saving lives where others falter. Only elite navies possess such assets, positioning India among maritime leaders.
As ‘Nistar’—meaning deliverance in Sanskrit—anchors over Ghazi’s grave, it embodies resilience and innovation. The IFR will showcase over 50 nations’ fleets, but for India, it’s a triumphant nod to 1971 heroes, reinforcing deterrence against historical adversaries.