The Indian Navy had last week achieved another feather in its cap with the commissioning of Malpe and Mulki, the fourth and fifth ships of the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Shallow Water Craft project. According to an official statement from the Ministry of Defence, these launches took place on Monday in Kochi.
The ships were inaugurated by Vijaya Srinivas, while Flag Officer Commanding-inChief of the Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral V. Srinivas attended as the guest of honor. Today’s commissioning thus forms another major milestone for the ASW Shallow Water Craft project at enhancing maritime defense capability.
The Ministry of Defence has now confirmed the Malpe and Mulki as part of an eight-ship contract signed between the Ministry of Defence and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) on April 30, 2019, reportedly for ASW vessels aimed at protecting India’s coastal waters.
The Mahe class vessels draw their names from strategically important ports along India’s coastline. Continuing in the tradition of their namesake minesweepers. The new ships will carry on that tradition while incorporating modern technology and advanced features.
The main armament of the ASW Shallow Water Craft includes state-of-the-art, indigenously developed underwater sensors. These enable the vessels to effectively undertake anti-submarine operations in the coastal waters. They are also suited for Low-Intensity Maritime Operations and mine-laying duties. They displace 773 tons of water at full load. And have a maximum speed of 25 knots with an endurance of a maximum of 1,800 nautical miles.
This also demonstrates India’s serious intent to fast-track indigenous shipbuilding capabilities with the simultaneous launching of Malpe and Mulki. The development aligned with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative for promoting self-reliance in defense production. As much as more than 80 percent is indigenous content, the project furthered national manufacturing. In addition to contributing a lot toward the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ call of the Indian government in defense production.
The advances in naval technologies and shipbuilding are significant milestones in strengthening India’s naval defense infrastructure. The launch demonstrates accomplished growth in the sector and signifies India’s growing capability to produce sophisticated naval ships.
Malpe and Mulki are symbolic of the country’s determination to strengthen its defense apparatus through indigenous production. The larger ramifications of this project, according to the statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, point towards national security, employment generation, and industrial growth. These incoming ASW ships would also be responsible for safeguarding India’s vast maritime interests if India is serious about strengthening its naval fleet.
ANI