Indian Navy's latest submarine killer? INS Arnala set to hunt underwater foes soon

The Indian Navy is all set to commission INS Arnala, the first anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW-SWC), at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday. 

 

The ceremony will be hosted by Vice Adm Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command and will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan.

 

The commissioning of Arnala—named after the historic Arnala Fort off Vasai, Maharashtra—marks the formal induction of the first of 16 ASW-SWC class vessels into the Indian Navy, a major milestone in India’s coastal defence programme. 

 

The commissioning of Arnala will mark a transformative moment in India's naval capabilities, strengthening coastal defence and reaffiliate India's position as a self-reliant maritime power in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region, the defence ministry said.

 

Designed for a range of ASW operations, Arnala is equipped to conduct subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations. The 77.6 m long warship, with a displacement capacity of over 1,490 tonnes, is the largest Indian Naval warship to be propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination.

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Much like Arnala Fortt, which stood resiliently against various threats, the ship is designed to have a formidable presence at sea, the defence ministry said in a release.

 

Built under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Arnala has been designed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), in collaboration with L&T Shipbuilders, and incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content. The warship integrates advanced systems from major Indian defence players, including BEL, L&T, Mahindra Defence, and MEIL.

 

The ship's crest (badge or emblem) is a stylised auger shell set against a blue backdrop, with the ship's name inscribed in Devanagari script at the base. According to the Indian Navy, the shell symbolises resilience, vigilance, survival, and dominance in challenging environments, "which mirrors the essence of the ship built to withstand the relentless forces of the ocean and undertake flawless anti-submarine operations with precise ordnance on target."

 

The ship's motto अर्णवे शौर्यम्” (Arnave Shauryam ) meaning 'Valour in the Ocean' "embodies the ship's unwavering courage, formidable strength and dominance over the vast seas."

Defence