The Indian Navy launched two shallow water anti-submarine warfare craft named Malpe and Mulki at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (CSL) in Kochi on September 9.
These vessels, part of the Eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft project, are the fourth and fifth vessels to be launched under the programme initiated by a contract signed on 30 April 2019 between the Indian Ministry of Defence and CSL.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the launch, saying, “Malpe and Mulki, the fourth and fifth vessels of the Eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft project being built by M/s Cochin Shipyard Ltd. for the Indian Navy, were launched on 09 September 24 at CSL in Kochi.”
The project is part of India’s broader ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative, which aims to reduce dependence on foreign defence imports. More than 80% of the materials used to build these ships are sourced domestically, underscoring India’s growing prowess in defence manufacturing. Highlighting this milestone, the ministry said the launch shows “our progress in indigenous shipbuilding towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
The indigenous share not only contributes to self-reliance but also boosts national manufacturing capacity and job creation in the defence sector. The defence ministry stressed that this expansion in indigenous defence production will have an impact on various sectors of the economy.
The newly commissioned ships Malpe and Mulki are expected to enhance India’s coastal defence and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. They are equipped with advanced, locally developed underwater sensors that can detect enemy submarines and other underwater threats. The ships are capable of conducting shallow-water anti-submarine warfare, low-intensity maritime operations and mine-laying activities.
The ships are 78 metres long and displace around 900 tonnes. They can reach speeds of up to 25 knots and have a range of 1,800 nautical miles, enabling them to cover vast coastal areas efficiently. The Defence Ministry has confirmed that these ships are part of a larger project to enhance the Indian Navy’s coastal defence strategy. “The acquisition of these ships will significantly enhance India’s anti-submarine warfare capability in shallow coastal waters,” the Navy said.
The ships are named after two important ports along the Indian coast – Malpe and Mulki – continuing the Navy’s tradition of naming such ships after strategically important ports. The naming ceremony is to honour the legacy of the minesweepers of the same name, further linking the ships to India’s rich maritime history. The ships are part of the Mahe class, which is designed to carry on the legacy of the former minehunters that the Indian Navy has used for coastal defence over the past decades.
The launch took place in the presence of Vice Admiral V. Srinivas, Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Command South. The Navy said the ships were launched in a traditional ceremony in keeping with Indian maritime customs. The Navy stated, “In keeping with maritime traditions, the two ships were launched by Mrs. Vijaya Srinivas in the presence of Vice Admiral V. Srinivas.”
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