It is equipped to conduct subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

The Indian Navy is all set to commission the first of the next-generation ships capable of detecting enemy submarines in shallow waters.

The Navy is getting 16 such ships being made at a cost of nearly Rs 13,000 crore. The public sector shipyards Cochin Shipyard Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata, have been contracted to manufacture eight ships each. GRSE has entered into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with L&T Shipbuilders to produce the ships.

The ‘Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), the first of the lot, called ‘Arnala’ – constructed by GRSE — will be commissioned on June 18, at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. The ceremony will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan.

Named after the historic Arnala Fort off Vasai, Maharashtra, the warship reflects India’s rich maritime heritage.

The Indian Navy said “the ship is designed to have a formidable presence at sea. Its robust construction and advanced capabilities ensure that it can withstand the challenges of the maritime domain, safeguarding India’s waters from emerging threats”.

⁠The Arnala is equipped to conduct subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations. This 77.6 m long warship — with a gross tonnage of over 1,490 tonnes — is designed for a range of ASW operations and is the largest Indian Naval warship to be propelled by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination.

The commissioning of Arnala will mark a transformative moment in India’s naval capabilities, strengthening coastal defence and reaffiliate India’s position as a self-reliant maritime power in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region.

The warship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L&T, Mahindra Defence, and MEIL.

The project has engaged over 55 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), promoting domestic industry and generating related economic activity.