On Friday, June 6, Press Information Bureau (PIB) shared that Indian Navy is set to commission its first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) Arnala. The craft will be commissioned at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, on 18 Jun 2025, in a ceremony presided over by Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan.
Arnala is designed and constructed by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with M/s L&T Shipbuilders. This is the first of 16 ASW-SWC ships that are set to become part of the Indian Navy.
80% of the content in the warship is indigenous, marking a significant success of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Arnala was delivered to the Indian Navy on May 8, 2025, and is named after the historic Arnala Fort off Vasai, Maharashtra.
Arnala is equipped to conduct Subsurface Surveillance, Search and Rescue missions, and Low-Intensity Maritime Operations.
PIB shared that the commissioning of Arnala will mark a transformative moment in India’s naval capabilities, strengthening coastal defence and reaffiliate India’s position as a self-reliant maritime power in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region.
