INS Mahe

Why in News?

The Indian Navy recently commissioned INS Mahe.

• It is an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft.
• It is the first of the indigenously designed and built Mahe-class ASW-SWC, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.
• Designed and constructed by - Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.
• It is the lead ship of 8 vessels in her class.
• Nomenclature - The ship takes her name from the historic coastal town of Mahe on the Malabar Coast.
• Size - These vessels are 78 meters long and 11.36 meters wide, with a draught of about 2.7 meters.
• The displacement is about 896 tonnes, with a maximum speed of 25 knots and an endurance of 1,800 nautical miles.
• Key features - It has been designed and constructed as per the classification rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a leading global classification society that sets technical standards for ships and offshore structures.
• The ships in this class are the largest Indian Naval warships propelled by a diesel engine, waterjet combination.
• They are designed for underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).
• The ship is capable of undertaking ASW operations in coastal waters, along with advanced mine-laying capabilities.
• Significance - It will augment the Indian Navy’s capacity to ensure near-sea dominance, strengthen the coastal security grid, and safeguard India’s maritime interests across the littorals.
• It bridges the operational gap by giving the Navy the crucial ability to detect and counter stealthy diesel-electric submarines operating close to the coastline, an area where larger surface combatants cannot manoeuvre effectively.
• Their low draught, advanced sonars, and high manoeuvrability make them essential for securing harbour approaches, sea-lanes leading to major ports, offshore energy assets, and operational bases, all vulnerable and economically vital maritime assets.

The Mahe-class comprises the newly commissioned INS Mahe and the yet-to-be-commissioned Malval, Mangrol, Malpe, Mulki, Magdala, and Machilipatnam.

All these vessels are set to be commissioned in the coming 2–3 years.

Reference

The Indian Express | INS Mahe