Context:

The Indian Navy has inducted INS Anjadip, an indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC). The induction marks a significant step in strengthening India’s coastal and littoral maritime security, while advancing the objective of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing.

About INS Anjadip:

• • • Type: Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC)
    • Shipyard: Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata
    • Design: Developed by the Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation
    • Class: Arnala-class (GRSE-built variant)
    • Series: Part of a planned fleet of 16 ASW-SWC vessels for the Indian Navy
    • Operational Role: Detection, tracking, and neutralisation of submarines in shallow and coastal waters

About Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC):

The ASW-SWC class represents a new generation of shallow-water corvettes specifically designed for near-shore and littoral anti-submarine operations.

• • • Shipbuilding Programme
      • Constructed by two Indian shipyards:
        • Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) – 8 vessels (Arnala-class)
        • Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) – 8 vessels (Mahe-class)
      • Total planned vessels: 16
    • Design and Technical Features
      • Length: Approximately 77–78 metres
      • Beam (width): Approximately 10.5 metres
      • Propulsion:
        • Diesel engines combined with water-jet propulsion
        • Enables high manoeuvrability and efficient operations in shallow waters
        • Speed: Around 25 knots in littoral and near-shore environments
    • Combat Capabilities
      • • Advanced sonar systems for underwater surveillance and target detection
      • Weapons suite:
        • Lightweight torpedoes
        • Indigenous anti-submarine rockets
      • Multi-role functions:
        • Anti-submarine warfare
        • Mine-laying operations
        • Limited surface and air defence
        • Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in coastal zones

Strategic Significance:

• • • Strengthening Littoral ASW Capability: Enhances India’s ability to counter growing submarine activity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), particularly in shallow and coastal waters where larger warships face operational constraints.
    • Modernisation of Naval Fleet: Replaces ageing Abhay-class corvettes with modern, agile, and technologically advanced platforms.
    • Boost to Indigenisation: Features a high level of indigenous content, reinforcing self-reliance in defence manufacturing and supporting the domestic shipbuilding ecosystem.
    • Layered Maritime Defence: Complements submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, and larger surface combatants, contributing to a robust layered coastal defence architecture.
    • Protection of Critical Maritime Assets: Enhances the security of ports, harbours, offshore installations, and island territories.

Conclusion:

The induction of INS Anjadip underscores India’s growing emphasis on coastal security, indigenous defence production, and maritime domain awareness. The ASW-SWC programme significantly strengthens the Indian Navy’s capacity to address emerging underwater threats in near-shore environments, thereby reinforcing national maritime security.