The Indian Navy, on Monday, commissioned INS Androth, the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), specially designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters.
Fitted with advanced weapons, sensors, and communication systems, enabling it to detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with precision, INS Androth can sustain prolonged operations in shallow waters.
The 77-m long warship, with a displacement capacity of about 1500 tonnes, is powered by three waterjet propulsion systems driven by marine diesel engines.
Extremely agile and manoeuvrable, the capabilities of INS Androth extend to maritime surveillance, search and rescue, coastal defence missions, and low-intensity maritime operations.
Indigenously built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), the vessel embodies India's growing shipbuilding prowess with over 80 per cent locally sourced components.
"The commissioning of INS Androth adds a significant punch to the Navy’s ASW capabilities, particularly in countering threats posed by adversaries in the littorals. The ship’s induction underscores the Navy’s continued emphasis on indigenisation, innovation, and capability enhancement, while reaffirming the vital contribution of GRSE in strengthening India’s maritime security architecture," the defence ministry said in a release.
The ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, in the presence of senior naval officers and representatives from GRSE.