Indian Navy To Commission First Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft

The Indian Navy is preparing for a major expansion of its fleet in 2025, with the induction of nine to ten new warships scheduled between June and December.

The first of these, INS Arnala, an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), will be commissioned on June 18 at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

This marks the formal induction of the first of 16 ASW-SWC class vessels into naval service. Officials said these ships are expected to strengthen the Navy’s capabilities in shallow water operations, including submarine detection, rescue efforts, and maritime security in low-threat scenarios.

INS Arnala was designed and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, in partnership with L&T Shipbuilders. According to official information, the project was guided by the Directorate of Ship Production and supervised by Warship Overseeing Teams in Kolkata and Kattupalli. The ship was handed over to the Navy on May 8, 2025.

This warship stands out as the largest Indian Navy vessel powered by a diesel engine-waterjet combination. It is 77.6 metres long, has a gross tonnage of over 1,490 tonnes, and features more than 80% indigenous content.

Defence officials added that the ship integrates advanced equipment supplied by major Indian defence firms such as Bharat Electronics Limited, Mahindra Defence, L&T, and MEIL. Over 55 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were involved in its construction.

The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and hosted by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar.

The ship, named after the historic Arnala Fort near Vasai, Maharashtra, carries a crest with a stylised auger shell on a blue background. The Navy said this shell represents strength, survival, precision, and vigilance-qualities essential for anti-submarine operations.

The fort, constructed in 1737 by the Marathas under Chimaji Appa, was originally built to guard the mouth of the Vaitarna River on the northern Konkan coast.

Officials also shared that one or two more ASW-SWC vessels are expected to be commissioned later in the year. Alongside INS Arnala, several other vessels are in line for induction. These include:

• INS Tamal, the second Talwar-class stealth frigate built under a 2016 Indo-Russian agreement. It is expected to be commissioned later this month. Out of four frigates in the $2.5 billion deal, two were built in Russia and two are under construction at Goa Shipyard Limited with Russian technical support. The first ship in this series, INS Tushil, was commissioned in December 2024 at the Yantar Shipyard in Russia and reached India in February 2025.
• A diving support ship, currently under construction at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam.
• At least one Nilgiri-class frigate under Project 17A, being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and GRSE. A second frigate of this class may also be ready for commissioning before the end of 2025.
• A large survey vessel, also being built by GRSE.

Earlier this year, the Navy also inducted the sixth Kalvari-class submarine, INS Vagsheer, under Project 75, in January 2025. This diesel-electric submarine operates on batteries while submerged and switches to diesel engines on the surface. It is designed for stealth operations near the coast.

Meanwhile, the Navy is expecting the delivery of two more MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the United States within the next month. Of the 24 units ordered, 13 have already been delivered.

References: The Hindu, indianexpress

Source: Maritime Shipping News