Anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW SWC) ‘Mahe’, equipped with torpedoes, multi-functional anti-submarine rockets and advanced radars and sonars, has been delivered to the Indian Navy, officials said on Friday.
The first of the eight ASW SWCs being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, is named after the historic port town in the Union Territory of Puducherry, and symbolises India’s rich maritime heritage. It was delivered to the Navy on October 23, a spokesperson of the Navy said.
The vessel is “equipped for underwater surveillance, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations in coastal waters, and it has advanced mine-laying capability,” he said. It has been indigenously designed and constructed by CSL, reflecting India’s growing self-reliance in naval shipbuilding.
“At approximately 78 m, with a displacement of around 1,100 tonnes, the ship packs a punch in underwater warfare, with torpedoes, multi-functional anti-submarine rockets, and advanced radars and sonars,” the official said. Induction of ASW SWCs will significantly augment the Indian Navy’s ASW capability, enhancing maritime security in the littorals, he said.
The delivery of ‘Mahe’, with over 80 per cent indigenous content, marks “yet another milestone” and reaffirms the Government of India’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the official added.
