GRSE to launch eighth, final anti-submarine warfare craft
NEW DELHI: The country will mark a major milestone in indigenous shipbuilding on Monday as state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) is set to launch the eighth and final Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC).
The launch will be attended by Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy.
This final launch concludes GRSE’s contract to deliver eight next-generation ASW SWCs as part of a broader initiative to strengthen India’s maritime defence.
The launch is seen as significant because of the increasing presence of submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), including regular deployments by Chinese and Pakistani naval assets. These vessels are designed to safeguard India’s coastline and shallow waters against any threats.
The ASW SWCs are part of a Rs 12,500 crore programme to build 16 shallow water anti-submarine warfare vessels under two contracts awarded in April 2019. GRSE is building eight vessels under a Rs 6,311 crore deal, while Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) is constructing the other eight. The vessels from GRSE will form the Arnala-class, named after the lead ship INS Arnala, commissioned in June. The CSL-built ships will be classified as Mahe-class.
INS Arnala, named after the historic coastal fort off Vasai, Maharashtra, reflects India’s rich and varied maritime heritage. Measuring 77 meters in length, Arnala is the largest Indian Naval warship powered by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination. It features advanced capabilities for underwater surveillance, anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, low-intensity maritime missions, mine-laying besides a host of search and rescue tasks.
The ASW SWCs are expected to replace the aging Abhay-class corvettes-- small warships designed for convoy escort duty-- which have been in service since the late 1980s. With over 80% indigenous content, the Arnala-class ships represent a significant step toward self-reliance in defence production, a key goal of the Modi government.
The ships are being built in accordance with the classification standards of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between GRSE and Larsen & Toubro Shipyard demonstrating a successful collaboration in domestic defence manufacturing.
Usually, there is a one-month interval between the delivery of a warship and its formal commissioning into the Navy. With this final launch, GRSE completes a critical phase in India’s naval modernisation, bolstering the Indian Navy’s ability to counter existing and emerging underwater threats and strengthening its presence in strategically sensitive waters.