NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy will commission its latest sub-hunter, INS Anjadip, on Friday, as part of a 16-ship indigenous programme to strengthen coastal anti-submarine warfare.
The warship will be inducted into the Eastern Naval Command at Chennai with Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi presiding over the ceremony.
Sources in the Navy said INS Anjadip’s relevance is heightened in the regional context, particularly vis-à-vis Pakistan, which is expected to rely more heavily on its submarine fleet given its limited surface combatant strength and lack of dedicated anti-submarine warfare platforms.
In this context, the class is expected to secure near-shore waters, allowing larger Indian naval assets to operate with greater flexibility.
“Since there is a possibility of the adversary’s submarines being required to navigate littoral zones with depths as shallow as 50 to 60 metres to achieve effective torpedo firing positions, Anjadip is engineered to detect, track and engage such threats at stand-off ranges, mitigating risks to high-value surface assets operating in proximity,” sources in the Navy said.
While frontline warships such as frigates and destroyers are equipped with anti-submarine capabilities, their primary roles remain offensive, focused on anti-air and anti-surface warfare.
In contrast, INS Anjadip, as part of the Arnala-class, is purpose-built for defensive operations, specifically sub-hunting in coastal areas, enabling high-value platforms to concentrate on broader strategic objectives.
The Navy has termed INS Anjadip a “dolphin hunter” for its role in coastal anti-submarine operations.
“The ship is equipped with an indigenous, cutting-edge anti-submarine warfare weapons and sensor package, including the hull mounted sonar ‘Abhay’ and is armed with lightweight torpedoes and ASW rockets. In addition to its primary ASW role, the agile and highly manoeuvrable warship is capable of undertaking coastal surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations and search and rescue operations,” the Navy said in a statement.
“The 77-metre-long ship features a high-speed water-jet propulsion system, enabling it to achieve a top speed of 25 knots for rapid response and sustained operations,” it added.
The vessels have been designed and built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in partnership with Larsen & Toubro, marking a shift from the earlier practice where the Navy itself provided warship designs.
INS Anjadip follows the commissioning of INS Arnala in June last year and INS Androth in October. The Navy plans to deploy all 16 vessels across key ports to create a layered anti-submarine shield along India’s coastline.
The vessels will replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes which are modified Soviet-origin Pauk-class platforms that have been long used for coastal anti-submarine operations. The new class marks a significant upgrade in size, survivability and onboard combat systems as the Navy moves towards more specialised and indigenously designed platforms.