New Delhi: The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mangrol, the third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The induction of the indigenous warship marks an important step towards strengthening the Navy’s ability to detect and counter submarine threats in coastal and shallow waters.
The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. Addressing the gathering, Vice Admiral Vatsayan said that the ship, with more than 80 per cent indigenous content, demonstrates India’s engineering capabilities, technological progress and national resolve.
Highlighting the Navy’s expansion, he said that ten ships had been commissioned in 2026, with another eight expected to be commissioned soon. He also said that by 2034, around 60 per cent of the Navy’s platforms were expected to have an average age of less than ten years.
INS Mangrol is named after the coastal town of Mangrol in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, which is also a prominent fishing harbour. The ship carries forward the legacy of the earlier INS Mangrol, a minesweeper that served the Indian Navy until 7 April 2004. The new vessel is designed to meet the challenges of contemporary maritime security.
Designed to detect and counter underwater threats in coastal and shallow waters, INS Mangrol is equipped with modern weapons and sensors, including the Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Mareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System.
(AIR News)