The Indian Navy is scheduled to commission INS Mangrol, the third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard on 12 October. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, will preside over the ceremony. The vessel belongs to an indigenous programme for 16 ASW-SWCs, divided equally between Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers and Cochin Shipyard Limited, with each yard constructing eight ships. Six vessels have already entered service, making Mangrol the seventh platform in the fleet. Named after the coastal town and major fishing harbour in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, the ship also carries forward the name of the earlier INS Mangrol (M85), a minesweeper that served until April 2004. More than 80% of the new vessel’s content is indigenous, reflecting the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives and India’s expanding shipbuilding and combat-system integration capabilities. Designed for anti-submarine operations in shallow coastal waters, it addresses environments where larger warships may face manoeuvrability limitations. Its equipment includes the indigenous Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Mareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System for protection against incoming torpedoes. Three diesel engines drive waterjet propulsion systems, enabling manoeuvrability in confined waters. The ship can also perform underwater surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations and mine warfare-related tasks. Working with maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and other naval platforms, it will help improve underwater domain awareness. Its induction is expected to strengthen protection for ports, harbours and coastal approaches against underwater threats as the Navy expands littoral warfare capabilities in the Indian Ocean region. The ASW-SWC fleet is also intended to replace ageing anti-submarine platforms. Separately, the Indian Coast Guard has commissioned the indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Ajit at Goa Shipyard Limited. Sirish Choudhary, IDAS, Principal Integrated Financial Adviser of the Coast Guard, presided over the ceremony. Based at Okha, the vessel is equipped with advanced weaponry and modern control systems and is designed for maritime surveillance, search and rescue, anti-smuggling and pollution response operations.
