Two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) shallow watercraft vessels of the Indian Navy were launched at Cochin Shipyard.
These vessels are the fourth and fifth in a series of eight watercraft.
Vessel Specifications:
Length: 78 meters
Width: 11.36 meters
Draught: 2.7 meters
Maximum Speed: 25 knots
Endurance: 1,800 nautical miles
Displacement: Approximately 900 tonnes
Future Names and Features:
Once commissioned, the vessels will be named INS Malpe and INS Mulki.
Designed to accommodate indigenously developed sonar for underwater surveillance.
The vessels were launched by Vijaya Srinivas, wife of Vice-Admiral V. Srinivas, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command.
The contract for designing, constructing, and delivering the eight ships was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Cochin Shipyard Ltd. in April 2019.
The Mahe-class ships will replace the Abhay-class ASW corvettes.
Operational Capabilities:
Designed for anti-submarine operations, coastal waters operations, low-intensity maritime operations, mine-laying, and search and rescue.
Each vessel has an installed propulsion power of about 12 MW.
Equipped with lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, mines, close-in weapon systems, and stabilized remote-control guns.
Strategic Importance:
Vice-Admiral Srinivas emphasized the importance of the vessels in maintaining self-reliance and addressing geo-political and security challenges.
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