GRSE launches first ship Arnala of the ASW SWC vessels Project

Tags: Defence

In a boost to the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capability, defence shipyard  Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata  launched ‘Arnala’ in the Bay of Bengal  on 20 December 2022 at M/s L&T, Kattupalli, Chennai.

In order to strengthen its ASW(Anti-Submarine Warfare ) capability in the  shallow water  the Union Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with Cochin Shipyards limited (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata in 2019 to build 16 ASW  SWC (Shallow Water Craft). 

Each company is developing 8 vessels each.

These ships will replace Abhay class ASW Ships of the Indian Navy and are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) including subsurface surveillance in littoral waters. The 77.6m ASW SWC ships have a displacement of 900 tons with a maximum speed of 25 knots and endurance of 1800 NM.

The ASW SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content, ensuring that large scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units.

Defence Shipyards 

There are 4 main shipyards in India which are engaged in the construction of many types of ships and vessels for the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. The Shipyards which are under the Union Ministry of Defence are as follows;

• Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra 
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Kolkata 
• Goa Shipyard Limited: Goa Shipyard Limited, Goa 
• Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam