Key Highlights
- INS Anjadip, the third shallow‑water anti‑submarine craft, was commissioned on 27 February 2026 at Chennai Port.
- The vessel embodies the Aatmanirbhar Bharat drive, being wholly designed and built in India by GRSE, Kolkata.
- Equipped with a water‑jet propulsion, hull‑mounted AB‑Hay sonar and lightweight torpedoes, it can hunt submarines in confined coastal zones.
- Beyond ASW, the craft can conduct surveillance, low‑intensity maritime tasks and search‑and‑rescue operations under the Eastern Naval Command.
- Its induction strengthens India’s vision of a “Builder’s Navy” and contributes to maritime security along the eastern seaboard.
Detailed Insights
INS Anjadip joins the Anti‑Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW‑SWC) series, a fleet of eight vessels intended to dominate India’s littoral environment. Measuring 77 metres in length and capable of reaching 25 knots through a high‑speed water‑jet drive, the ship is optimised for the complex, shallow theatres where conventional submarines are hard to track. The platform’s combat suite includes the domestically produced AB‑Hay hull‑mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, and ASW rockets, together forming an indigenous sensor‑to‑weapon loop. Operating from the Eastern Naval Command, the craft will patrol the waters off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, providing a rapid response against potential submarine incursions and supporting coastal surveillance, low‑intensity maritime operations (LIMO), and search‑and‑rescue (SAR) missions.
Key Concepts
- Littoral Warfare: Naval operations conducted in coastal and shallow waters where terrain, civilian traffic and acoustic conditions complicate detection and engagement of threats.
- Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative: India’s self‑reliance program that encourages domestic design, production and technology development, especially in defence.
- Water‑Jet Propulsion: A propulsion method that draws water into a pump and expels it at high speed, providing superior maneuverability in shallow waters.
- Hull‑Mounted Sonar (AB‑Hay): An indigenous active sonar array installed on the ship’s hull, specialized for detecting under‑sea contacts in noisy, shallow environments.
- Low‑Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO): Limited‑scale naval activities such as patrols, interdiction and presence missions aimed at maintaining security without full combat engagement.