The Indian Navy recently commissioned the first ship in a new class of eight locally built corvettes.
INS Mahe was built by Cochin Shipyard (CSL) as an anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft (ASW SWC). Development of the class is being undertaken jointly by CSL, Smart Engineering and Design Solutions, and Surma.
The eight Mahe-class ships are being developed concurrently with the eight Arnala-class ASW SWCs built for the navy by the partnership of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers and Larsen and Toubro. All 16 ships will replace the Indian Navy’s Abhay-class corvettes, which were originally designed during the 1980s.
The two ASW SWC classes have slightly different dimensions though all vessels will have more than 80 per cent indigenous content in line with the “make in India” initiative of the Indian Government.
The 78-metre Mahe is capable of full-scale, sub-surface surveillance of coastal waters and up to 200 nautical miles from shore as well as search and attack. The vessel can also carry out anti-submarine warfare operations in coordination with aircraft.
The vessel boasts armament consisting of lightweight torpedoes launched from port and starboard triple tubes, ASW rockets fired from a forward-mounted RBU-6000 launcher, a 30mm naval gun, and two M2 Browning 12.7mm machine guns fitted on remotely controlled stabilised mounts.
Secondary missions will include search and rescue, port protection minelaying, and limited air defence.