The first homegrown Indian Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) INS Arnala is ready to be commissioned at the Visakhapatnam dockyard this Wednesday under the Eastern Naval Command.

In a post shared on social media handle X, the spokesperson of the Indian Navy shared the journey of Arnala, from blueprint to a warship. A video of the journey that highlights the efforts put into the building of the warship was also shared.

“India’s first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft is all set to be commissioned today, #18Jun25. We bring to you the Journey of Arnala from Blueprint … to A Warship,” the Navy wrote on X.

About ‘Arnala’

This is the first of the eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) that was designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, and was delivered to the Indian Navy on May 8 at M/s L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli.

The government release on this warship states that it has been designed and constructed as per the Classification Rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of GRSE with M/s L&T Shipyard, thus demonstrating the success of collaborative defence manufacturing.

The name of the warship is derived from the historic fort ‘Arnala’ located off Vasai, Maharashtra, which reflects India’s rich maritime heritage.

This is a 77 m long warship and the largest Indian Naval warship propelled by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination.

The warship has features like underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).

The government release further states that Arnala’s delivery is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s quest for indigenous shipbuilding and upholding the government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ with over 80 per cent indigenous content.