India's first indigenous Anti-Submarine Shallow Water Craft INS Arnala commissioned in Vizag
INS Arnala, India's first indigenous Anti-Submarine Shallow Water Craft, was commissioned into the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Indian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.
Named after the historic coastal fort in Maharashtra, INS Arnala is a step in the direction of building naval capabilities in line with the force levels envisaged to meet the future challenges.
The commissioning ceremony was hosted by Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, and attended by senior naval officials, civilian dignitaries, former Commanding Officers of erstwhile Arnala, guests, and representatives from Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Larsen & Toubro Shipbuilding.
Designed for a broad range of anti-submarine operations, INS Arnala is equipped to conduct sub-surface surveillance and interdiction, search and rescue missions, and Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).
This 77-metre-long warship, with a gross tonnage of over 1490 tonnes, is the largest Indian Naval warship to be propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination.
The commissioning of INS Arnala not only reinforces India's defence capability but also highlights the triumph of indigenous design, engineering, and manufacturing.
As India continues its maritime journey toward greater self-reliance, INS Arnala stands as a proud symbol of national strength, industrial partnership and naval excellence, said General Chauhan.
He underscored the Indian Navy's transition from a 'Buyer's Navy' to a 'Builder's Navy', highlighting this as the backbone of the country's 'Blue Water aspirations'.
With a large number of ships currently under construction, including capital warships and auxiliaries, India has emerged as a formidable force in shipbuilding, he said.
Indigenous warships now feature cutting-edge home-grown systems ranging from stealth technology to electronic warfare suites, advanced sensors, significantly enhancing combat preparedness and progressively realising the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
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