Kolkata: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) achieved a major milestone on October 25, when the seventh ship in a series of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts being built by the shipyard for the Indian Navy was launched by Sandhya Pendharkar, President, Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (Eastern Region). The chief guest at the occasion was Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
Among the others present were Cmde P R Hari IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, Rear Admiral Sandeep Mehta, ACWP&A, India Navy, Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN(Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE and other senior officials of the Indian Navy, GRSE and L&T were present at the occasion.
The launch of a ship is an important event when the vessel gets a name and feels water for the first time under her keel. A warship also gets her name during the launch, which is considered her birth. The Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (Yard 3032) was named “Abhay” by Sandhya Pendharkar, and this launch came barely seven months after the joint launch of the fifth and sixth vessels of this series.
These Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts or ASW SWCs require a draught of barely 2.7 metres and are capable of conducting operations in coastal waters, close to shore. They are also capable of Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) and mine laying operations.
These 77.6 metre-long and 10.5 metre-wide extremely potent warships with a maximum speed of 25 knots and endurance of 1800 NM are also capable of full-scale sub-surface surveillance of not only coastal waters but various surface platforms and coordinated anti-submarine operations with aircraft. These ships pack a lethal anti-submarine suite comprising light weight torpedoes, ASW rockets and mines. They are also armed with 30 mm Close-in Weapons System and 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote-Control Guns. These warships are fitted with a Hull Mounted Sonar and a Low-Frequency Variable Depth Sonar for effective underwater surveillance.
The contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between MoD and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata in April 2019. Arnala class of ships will replace the in-service Abhay class ASW Corvettes of Indian Navy.
Vice Admiral Pendharkar praised GRSE’s remarkable achievements during his address, emphasising the shipyard’s crucial role in India’s naval strength. “It is heartening to know that the GRSE has designed and built over 110 warships till date, which is the highest number of warships delivered by any Indian shipyard. It is also heartening to note that in addition to the ASW Shallow Water Craft, the shipyard is constructing the P-17 Alpha class frigates, Survey Vessel Large, the New Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Navy and multiple other projects for the DRDO and other entities. This proves the versatility of the GRSE and its status as a major shipyard in the country,” he remarked.
He further highlighted the progress of the latest project, adding, “I am also glad to note that the ship being launched today has achieved close to 40% physical progress of construction at this stage. Thus, this project stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when we combine our engineering expertise with the collaborative spirit of public-private partnerships.”
The Vice Admiral concluded his address by encouraging GRSE, saying, “To our partners at GRSE, I encourage you to continue to push the boundaries of innovation, quality, and speed.”
Cmde Hari spoke on the capabilities of GRSE and the shipyard’s commitment towards keeping the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard supplied with modern warships that possess latest technologies.
“GRSE has delivered 72 warships so far to the Indian Navy, and 17 more warships are currently under construction. With more orders on the anvil, we intend scoring a century of warships for the Navy within a decade. Launch of Abhay today is a milestone event and we are confident on delivering all the 8 ships of this project within the overall project completion date” he said.
The launch of Abhay highlights the nation’s resolve towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat in shipbuilding. The ASW SWC ships are designed with over 80% indigenous content, thereby ensuring that large scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units, generating employment and capability enhancement within the country.
