The INS Arnala, an indigenously built anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft (ASWSWC), was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Wednesday at a ceremony in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The first of 16 such warships, it is expected to boost the Indian Navy's combat capabilities. It would also strengthen coastal defence and the country's position as a self-reliant maritime power in the Indian Ocean.
Named after a coastal fort in Maharashtra, the Arnala, which was inducted into the Eastern Naval Command, is 77 metres long and has a gross tonnage of more than 1,490 tonnes. It will be the largest Indian Naval warship to be propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination.
Other than warfighting -- to detect, track and engage enemy submarines, particularly in coastal and shallow waters -- the ASWSWC ship is designed for search and rescue.
It has advanced underwater sensors and acoustic communications, and a weapons' suite that includes lightweight torpedoes, rockets, anti-torpedo decoys and mine-laying capability.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, who presided over the ceremony, underscored the transition from a 'buyer's Navy' to a 'builder's Navy', according to an Indian Navy media statement.
Indigenous warships increasingly feature cutting-edge home-grown systems, ranging from stealth technology to electronic warfare suites and sensors, it said. It added that these significantly enhance combat preparedness, progressively realising the vision of self-reliance.
Constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (in Kolkata) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (in Kochi) -- with more than 80 per cent indigenous components -- this and the remaining 15 ASWSWC ships would replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes.
Over the past few years, the navy has been building its capabilities to counter China's People's Liberation Army's growing presence in the region, including in the Indian Ocean.
-- Satarupa Bhattacharjya, Business Standard
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