Indian Navy Commissions Sixth Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette

The Indian Navy commissioned the sixth Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, INS Malvan, on 22 July, taking a major step towards replacing vintage Veer class corvettes that have been serving the force since 1987.

INS Malvan is the second ASW-SWC corvette constructed and delivered to the Indian Navy by Cochin Shipyard. The shipyard is presently constructing six more such corvettes under a major order of 16 anti-submarine corvettes placed by the Indian Navy. Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) was contracted to deliver the other eight anti-submarine corvettes.

So far, four ships constructed by GRSE have been commissioned by the Indian Navy. These are INS Arnala, INS Androth, INS Anjadip and INS Amini. The Navy has also commissioned INS Mahe which was delivered by Cochin Shipyard, making INS Malvan the sixth ASW-SWC corvette to join the service.

The sixteen new corvettes will eventually replace four Abhay-class and ten Veer-class corvettes, a majority of which have already retired from service. The Navy continues to operate seven Veer-class corvettes, a couple of which have been upgraded with twin BrahMos missile launchers to enhance their destructive potential.

The Navy is also operating two older classes of anti-submarine warfare corvettes. Only two of the four Khukri-class corvettes remain in service, alongside four Kora-class vessels which were commissioned between 1998 and 2004.

The new ASW-SWC corvettes could eventually replace the Kora-class vessels as well, and operate alongside four modern Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes which were commissioned between 2014 and 2020. Featuring an advanced stealth design, Kamorta-class corvettes are armed with twin RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers, and two twin 533mm torpedo tubes capable of firing heavy torpedoes like the Varunastra.

The new class of ASW-SWCs bring in advanced stealth characteristics as well as surveillance, minesweeping and interdiction capabilities. Powered by three MTU marine diesel engines delivering over 6 MW of power and three L&T water jet engines, these ships weigh about 1,500 tons each (gross) and can cover a distance of 1,800 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots.

Designed to operate in littoral waters, the ships offer similar capabilities but are based on two separate design principles. The eight ships constructed by GRSE were designed by the shipyard’s in-house design team, while the eight ships constructed by Cochin Shipyard were designed by the Shipyard in collaboration with Kochi-based Smart Engineering & Design Solutions and Finland-based Surma.

The anti-submarine corvettes feature DRDO-designed Abhay hull-mounted active sonar system, two navigation radars, an electronic warfare suite, a weather observation system, an automatic identification system, an expandable bathy thermograph, and other sensors and weapon suites integrated into a centralised combat management system.

To pursue and destroy enemy submarines, these ships carry forward-mounted RBU-6000 series anti-submarine rocket launchers, as well as two sets of triple lightweight torpedo launchers designed to fire Shyena, the indigenous Advanced Light Weight Torpedo designed by DRDO. The ASW-SWC corvettes are also capable of laying mines and working with maritime patrol aircraft to track and destroy enemy combatants near the coastal waters.