Vishakapatnam, June 7: The Indian Navy is set to commission its first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), Arnala, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on June 18, marking a key milestone in the country’s efforts to boost indigenous defence manufacturing and maritime security capabilities.
The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and hosted by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. Senior officials, defence industry representatives, and shipbuilders are expected to attend the event.
Arnala is the first of 16 vessels in the ASW-SWC class being built under a Public-Private Partnership between Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, and L&T Shipbuilders. The ship was delivered to the Navy on May 8 and was constructed under the supervision of the Directorate of Ship Production and Warship Overseeing Teams based in Kolkata and Kattupalli.
With over 80% indigenous content, Arnala integrates advanced systems developed by Indian defence firms including Bharat Electronics Limited, L&T, Mahindra Defence, and Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd. More than 55 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) contributed to the project, reinforcing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative.
Measuring 77.6 metres in length and weighing over 1,490 tonnes, Arnala is the largest Indian Navy warship powered by a diesel engine-waterjet propulsion system. It is equipped for a range of operations, including subsurface surveillance, search and rescue, and low-intensity maritime missions.
The warship is named after the historic Arnala Fort off Vasai in Maharashtra, built by the Marathas in 1737 to defend the northern Konkan coast. The ship’s crest features a stylised auger shell symbolising resilience and precision, while its motto, “Arnave Shauryam” (Valour in the Ocean), reflects its operational ethos.
The induction of Arnala is seen as a significant step in enhancing India’s coastal defence and anti-submarine warfare capabilities in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region.
