Indian Navy Commissions Anti-Submarine Warfare Vessel INS Mahe To Boost Coastal Defence

The Indian Navy on Monday commissioned INS Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft, which will form the first line of coastal defence, integrating seamlessly with larger surface combatants, submarines, and aviation assets.

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi was the chief guest here at the commissioning ceremony of INS Mahe, marking the new generation of indigenous shallow-water combatants - sleek, swift and resolutely Indian.

INS Mahe's commissioning not only marks the induction of a potent new platform to the country's maritime order of battle, but it also reaffirms India's maritime capability to design, construct and field complex combatants with indigenous technologies, Gen Dwivedi said.

The commissioning will significantly augment the Indian Navy's ability to ensure near-seas dominance, strengthen the coastal security grid and safeguard India's maritime interests across the vast expanse of the country's littoral waters. It also reaffirms the Navy's steadfast transformation into a builder's Navy, the one that designs, constructs and sustains its own combat platform, he added.

An official said this was also the first time that an Army chief was present at the commissioning of a naval ship.

Following the ceremony, Gen Dwivedi also awarded the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Commendation to the Navy personnel who played a key role in the commissioning of the ship, a rarity which will become more frequent in the days to come as the level of synergy among the three forces increases, the official added.

The Indian Navy plays an important role in the neighbourhood as well as in the global environment in far-off lands where the Army's efforts can play both a supplementary and a complementary role in soft and hard diplomacy, Gen Dwivedi said and referred to it as smart diplomacy.

"The Mahe-class will form the first line of coastal defence, integrating seamlessly with larger surface combatants, submarines, and aviation assets to maintain constant vigilance over India's maritime areas of operation,' the Navy said.

Designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi, INS Mahe is the lead ship of eight vessels in her class and represents the cutting edge of India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative in naval ship design and construction. Compact yet powerful, the ship embodies agility, precision and endurance - qualities vital for dominating the littorals, it said.

With the ship's blend of firepower, stealth and mobility, it is designed to hunt submarines, conduct coastal patrols, and secure India's vital maritime approaches.

Fitted with advanced weapons, sensors, and communication systems enabling it to detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with precision, the ship can sustain prolonged operations in shallow waters and features technologically advanced machinery and control systems, the Navy said.

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

The commissioning of Mahe marks the arrival of a 'new generation' of indigenous shallow-water combatants, the Navy said.

'With over 80% indigenous content, the Mahe-class showcases India's growing mastery in warship design, construction and integration,' it said.

Named after the historic coastal town of Mahe on the Malabar coast and a former French colony, the ship's crest features an 'Urumi' -- the flexible sword of Kalarippayattu, symbolising agility, precision, and lethal grace, it added.

The ship's mascot, the Cheetah, embodies speed and focus, while the motto 'Silent Hunters' reflects the ship's stealth, vigilance, and unyielding readiness.