Indian Navy: New Anti-Submarine Vessel Commissioning | 2024
On June 18th, the Indian Navy commissions the Arnala, its first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, marking a significant leap in India’s naval power. This vessel, designed for robust anti-submarine warfare, will be inducted at Visakhapatnam, bolstering India’s maritime security. Arnala,built in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers,showcases indigenous defense manufacturing and is equipped for maritime surveillance,search and rescue,and low-intensity maritime operations. News Directory 3 brings you the latest on this groundbreaking warship,a 77-meter marvel with advanced capabilities and over 80% indigenous content. Discover what’s next as the Indian Navy integrates this powerful asset into its fleet.
Indian Navy to Commission Anti-Submarine Warfare Vessel Arnala
Updated June 06, 2025
The Indian Navy is preparing to commission its first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), named Arnala, on June 18. The commissioning ceremony will take place at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil chauhan will preside over the event, which marks the formal induction of the first of 16 ASW-SWC class ships into the Navy. The Arnala’s commissioning represents a meaningful advancement in india’s naval capabilities, notably in anti-submarine warfare.
Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, in collaboration with L&T Shipbuilders, the arnala is a 77-meter warship displacing over 1,490 tons. It is the largest Indian Naval warship powered by a diesel engine-water jet combination. the project aligns with the Indian government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative to boost domestic defence manufacturing and enhance maritime surveillance capabilities.
The vessel was delivered to the Indian Navy on May 8, 2025, and incorporates over 80% indigenous content. Key systems are integrated from leading defense firms such as Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Mahindra Defence, and MEIL.
The ship’s name, Arnala, is derived from the past Arnala Fort near Vasai, Maharashtra. Built in 1737 by the Marathas, the fort served as a strategic lookout over the northern Konkan coast and the mouth of the Vaitarna River.
Designed for a range of ASW operations, the shallow water vessel is equipped for subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations.
What’s next
With the commissioning of Arnala, the Indian Navy is set to enhance its capabilities in shallow-water anti-submarine warfare, contributing to maritime security.