INS Arnala, named after the historic coastal fort off Vasai, Maharashtra, reflects India’s rich and varied maritime heritage. Measuring 77 meters in length, Arnala is the largest Indian Naval warship powered by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination. It features advanced capabilities for underwater surveillance, anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, low-intensity maritime missions, mine-laying besides a host of search and rescue tasks. The ASW SWCs are expected to replace the aging Abhay-class corvettes– small warships designed for convoy escort duty– which have been in service since the late 1980s. With over 80% indigenous content, the Arnala-class ships represent a significant step toward self-reliance in defence production, a key goal of the Modi government. The ships are being built in accordance with the classification standards of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between GRSE and Larsen & Toubro Shipyard demonstrating a successful collaboration in domestic defence manufacturing. Usually, there is a one-month interval between the delivery of a warship and its formal commissioning into the Navy. With this final launch, GRSE completes a critical phase in India’s naval modernisation, bolstering the Indian Navy’s ability to counter existing and emerging underwater threats and strengthening its presence in strategically sensitive waters.
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