VESSEL REVIEW | INS Mahe – Sub-hunting corvette delivered to Indian Navy
India's Cochin Shipyard (CSL) recently delivered a new anti-submarine corvette to the Indian Navy.
The future INS Mahe is the lead ship of a new class of vessels built by CSL and designated as anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft (ASW SWCs). Development of the class is being undertaken jointly by CSL, Smart Engineering and Design Solutions (SEDS), and Surma. SEDS undertook the basic design work on the vessels while Surma was responsible for the combat survivability features and the signature management software.
New warship designation
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 (GRSE) 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 ship 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.
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.
Secondary missions will include search and rescue (SAR), port protection minelaying, and limited air defence.
High transit speeds coupled with reduced exposure to hostile sensors
The ship has an LOA of 78 metres (260 feet), a beam of 11.26 metres (36.94 feet), a draught of only 2.7 metres (8.9 feet), a displacement of 896 tons, and space for 57 crewmembers.
Design features have been incorporated to reduce the vessel’s radar cross-section and acoustic and infrared signatures to minimise the risk of detection by hostile submarines.
The propulsion, which consists of waterjets driven by diesel engines, can deliver a maximum speed of 25 knots, a cruising speed of 14 knots, and a range of 1,800 nautical miles.
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 GRSE-developed 30mm naval gun, and two M2 Browning 12.7mm machine guns fitted on remotely controlled stabilised mounts.
Full electronics suite
The electronics suite meanwhile includes navigation radars, hull-mounted and low-frequency variable depth sonars, an ASW combat suite developed by the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, a fire control system, a battle damage control system, an automatic power management system, and an integrated platform management system.
Space is also available for two rigid inflatable boats to assist in SAR.
Mahe and her sisters are all classed by DNV.
