India to induct new shallow-water anti-submarine craft ‘Mahe’ on Nov 24

The Indian Navy will induct the anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft Mahe on November 24, officials said on Sunday. The vessel is armed with torpedoes, multi-functional anti-submarine rockets, and sophisticated radar and sonar systems.

Mahe is the first of eight anti-submarine shallow-water craft (ASW SWC) being constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). The ship is named after the historic port town of Mahe in Puducherry, reflecting India’s longstanding maritime traditions.

“With its combination of firepower, stealth and agility, the vessel is built to track submarines, carry out coastal patrols and safeguard key maritime routes,” a Navy spokesperson said.

The lead Mahe-class ASW SWC, fitted with torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets, was handed over to the Navy on October 23.

The Navy is poised to script another milestone in its indigenous shipbuilding journey with the commissioning of ’Mahe’ at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on November 24, the spokesperson said.

’Mahe’ represents the cutting-edge of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in naval ship design and construction. Compact yet powerful, the ship embodies agility, precision and endurance – qualities vital for dominating the littorals, the Navy said.

With more than 80 per cent indigenous content, the Mahe-class showcases India’s growing mastery in warship design, construction and integration, it said.

Named after the historic coastal town on the Malabar Coast, the ship’s crest features an ’Urumi’, the flexible sword of ‘Kalarippayattu’, a martial art from Kerala, symbolising agility, precision, and lethal grace, the Navy said.

“The commissioning of ’Mahe’ will mark the arrival of a new generation of indigenous shallow-water combatants — sleek, swift, and resolutely Indian,” it said.

With inputs from agencies