KOCHI: Demonstrating its capability to manufacture technology intensive warships with high indigenous content, the Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) conducted the keel laying ceremony of the sixth Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Watercraft in Kochi on Tuesday. Southern Naval Command Chief Staff Officer (Training) Rear Admiral Satish Shenai and CSL director (Operations) K N Sreejith were present on the occasion.
Navy Warship Production Superintendent Commodore S Parthiban, Ship Production director at Integrated Headquarters of Navy Commodore G S Sidhu, Shipyard executive directors Rajesh Gopalakrishnan and S Harikrishnan, and senior officers attended the ceremony.
The contract for building eight anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft was signed between the Ministry of Defence and CSL on April 30, 2019. The Mahe class ships will replace the in-service Abhay class Corvettes of Indian Navy and are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, low intensity maritime operations and mine laying operations including subsurface surveillance.
The vessels are capable of achieving a speed of 25 knots and are fitted with indigenously designed and developed state-of-the-art SONARS for underwater surveillance. The construction of five of the eight vessels have been launched and are in various stages of machinery and system outfit. The first ship of the series is scheduled to be delivered in March 2025.