119 warships & counting: Kolkata-based GRSE delivers fifth submarine-hunter to Navy

GRSE delivered Amini, an anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, to the Indian Navy. It is designed for coastal operations against underwater threats. The delivery matters because it adds a specialised platform to the Navy while demonstrating India’s growing ability to build advanced warships domestically.

Amini is the fifth of eight ASW-SWCs being built by GRSE. It can conduct sub-surface surveillance, search and attack missions, and coordinated anti-submarine operations with aircraft. Its advanced combat management system, lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets support these roles. Rear Admiral Gautam Marwaha accepted the vessel for the Navy.

The delivery is also significant for GRSE’s record. Amini is the shipyard’s 119th warship built and 81st delivered to the Navy. With 88% indigenous content and a GRSE-made 30mm naval gun, it reflects the shipyard’s contribution to India’s self-reliant defence manufacturing.

An anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft is a naval vessel designed to find and counter underwater threats close to shore. Its shallow-water focus is important because coastal areas can be difficult for larger ships to access. Such craft help protect ports, shorelines and nearby maritime routes.

Amini illustrates the concept clearly. The 77.6-metre vessel has a shallow draught of 2.7 metres, allowing it to enter shallow coastal waters. It carries an advanced combat management system, lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine warfare rockets. These systems support sub-surface surveillance, searching, tracking and attacking missions.

The craft is also intended to work with aircraft during coordinated anti-submarine operations. The article describes Amini as suitable for detecting and neutralising sub-surface threats. Its delivery therefore expands the Indian Navy’s ability to monitor and respond to underwater dangers in littoral waters.

GRSE’s figures show both long-term production and current naval demand. The shipyard has built 119 warships and delivered 81 of them to the Indian Navy. These totals place Amini within a broader record of supplying frontline platforms for India’s maritime security.

Amini belongs to a contract for eight anti-submarine warfare shallow water crafts. It is the fifth vessel in that series delivered by GRSE. The craft are intended for coastal operations, where they can conduct surveillance, search and attack missions against underwater threats. Their design also supports coordination with aircraft.

GRSE is still building three ASW-SWCs from its current order book. Its wider naval workload includes one Project 17A stealth frigate, four offshore patrol vessels and five next-generation corvettes. The shipyard is also constructing 36 other vessels, including 13 export platforms, showing the scale of its ongoing production.

Amini addresses a difficult security problem: underwater threats can approach coastal areas without being visible from the surface. The vessel is designed for comprehensive sub-surface surveillance, searching, tracking and attack. These functions help protect India’s coastal waters and wider maritime interests.

Its main operational tools include an advanced combat management system, lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine warfare rockets. The system helps manage information and combat actions, while the torpedoes and rockets provide weapons for engaging underwater threats. Amini can also conduct coordinated anti-submarine warfare operations with aircraft.

The vessel’s shallow-water design makes this capability useful close to shore. With a 2.7-metre draught and waterjet propulsion, it can access coastal areas and manoeuvre effectively. Its deployment gives the Indian Navy another specialised platform for detecting, tracking and neutralising sub-surface threats in littoral waters.

Coastal waters are often shallow and constrained, so a warship needs more than weapons. A shallow draught reduces the depth of water required beneath the hull. This lets Amini approach areas that may be inaccessible to vessels designed mainly for deeper seas, supporting surveillance and anti-submarine missions near shore.

Amini measures 77.6 metres and has a draught of 2.7 metres. It is powered by marine diesel engines coupled with waterjets. According to the article, this arrangement provides enhanced agility and manoeuvrability. Those qualities help the craft operate effectively while searching for and responding to underwater threats in coastal waters.

Together, shallow access and agile movement make the vessel suited to littoral operations. Amini can enter relevant coastal areas, conduct sub-surface surveillance and support the detection and neutralisation of threats. This improves the Navy’s coverage of waters where maritime security activity may be especially important.

Anti-submarine vessels generally find hidden submarines by detecting signals or disturbances beneath the sea, most commonly through sonar. Sonar systems send sound into the water or listen for sounds already present. The resulting information can help estimate a contact’s location and movement. The article does not specify Amini’s particular sonar equipment.

Once a possible underwater contact is found, the ship’s combat management system can help organise and assess information. Tracking means following the contact over time and maintaining an understanding of its position. Amini is equipped with an advanced combat management system, lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine warfare rockets, according to the article.

Engagement follows identification and tracking. The vessel can use its listed underwater weapons to attack sub-surface threats. It can also coordinate anti-submarine operations with aircraft. These combined capabilities support the article’s description of detecting, tracking and engaging underwater dangers.

Indigenous content matters because it links naval capability with domestic production. When more of a warship is designed, built or integrated within the country, the shipyard and local industry gain experience. This supports India’s stated Aatmanirbhar Bharat commitment and reduces dependence on external sources for important defence platforms.

Amini’s ASW-SWC class incorporates 88% indigenous content. The vessel also carries a 30mm naval surface gun manufactured by GRSE. These details show that indigenous production covers both the wider platform and specific weapon equipment. GRSE is contributing to the development and integration of domestic defence technologies.

For naval readiness, an active domestic shipbuilding base supports a continuing flow of platforms. GRSE is building 13 frontline naval platforms and 36 other vessels, including export platforms. This production strengthens India’s maritime security capabilities while expanding its defence manufacturing and shipbuilding capacity.