First indigenous shallow-water anti-submarine craft ‘Mahe’ to join fleet on Nov 24 – Firstpost

Anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft ‘Mahe’, equipped with torpedoes, multi-functional anti-submarine rockets and advanced radars and sonars, is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 24, officials said on Sunday.

The first of the eight Anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW SWC) being built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) is named after Mahe, the historic port town in Puducherry, and symbolises India’s rich maritime heritage.

“With her blend of firepower, stealth and mobility, the ship is designed to hunt submarines, conduct coastal patrols, and secure India’s vital maritime approaches,” a Navy spokesperson said.

Equipped with torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets, the first of the Mahe-class ASW-SWC was delivered to the Navy on October 23.

The Navy is poised to script another milestone in its indigenous shipbuilding journey with the commissioning of ‘Mahe’ at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on November 24, the spokesperson said.

‘Mahe’ represents the cutting-edge of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in naval ship design and construction. Compact yet powerful, the ship embodies agility, precision and endurance – qualities vital for dominating the littorals, the Navy said.

With more than 80 per cent indigenous content, the Mahe-class showcases India’s growing mastery in warship design, construction and integration, it said.

Named after the historic coastal town on the Malabar Coast, the ship’s crest features an ‘Urumi’, the flexible sword of ‘Kalarippayattu’, a martial art from Kerala, symbolising agility, precision, and lethal grace, the Navy said.

“The commissioning of ‘Mahe’ will mark the arrival of a new generation of indigenous shallow-water combatants — sleek, swift, and resolutely Indian,” it said.

(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)