The Indian Navy on Wednesday commissioned INS Arnala, the country’s first anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW-SWC), at the Visakhapatnam dockyard under the Eastern Naval Command.
The first of the 16 indigenously built warships is expected to bolster the navy’s combat capabilities in the Indian Ocean region and strengthen coastal defence.
“Arnala is designed for subsurface surveillance, search and rescue operations and low-intensity maritime operations alongside its primary role in anti-submarine warfare. It is further equipped with mine-laying capabilities, a rare feature for its class,” said a navy official.
Named after the historic coastal fort off Maharashtra, INS Arnala is 77 metres long and has a gross tonnage of over 1,490, making it the largest Indian naval warship to be propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination.
Built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers with more than 80 per cent indigenous components, INS Arnala and the remaining 15 ASW-SWC vessels will replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes.
Sources said a second vessel in the ASW-SWC series was expected to be commissioned later this year. Over time, the navy plans to deploy all 16 ASW-SWC vessels to safeguard India’s 16 major ports, establishing a robust anti-submarine shield along the coastline.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, who presided over the ceremony, underscored the transition from a “buyer’s navy” to a “builder’s navy”.
“Indigenous warships now feature cutting-edge home-grown systems ranging from stealth technology to electronic warfare suites and advanced sensors, significantly enhancing combat preparedness and progressively realising the vision of self-reliance,” said a statement from the defence ministry.