GRSE launches final anti-submarine shallow water craft for Indian Navy

July 22, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Indian shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) has launched the eighth and last ship in a series of anti-submarine warfare shallow water crafts (ASW SWCs), which it is building for the Indian Navy.

As disclosed, the ship, named Ajay, was launched on Monday, July 21, 2025.

The first warship of the series, Arnala, was commissioned into the Navy on June 18, 2025. Androth, the second ship, has reportedly also completed its contractor sea trials and is now ready for delivery.

While the primary role of these ASW SWCs is to keep the waters near the coasts clear of adversary submarines, the ships are considered versatile platforms that can participate in a variety of operations.

According to GRSE, these vessels are designed with a shallow draught, enabling operations in coastal waters. The ASW SWCs are claimed to be equally capable of low intensity maritime operations (LIMO) and laying mines.

The company noted that these 77.6-meter-long and 10.5-meter-wide warships are also capable of full-scale sub-surface surveillance in coastal waters and can carry out operations against surface platforms as well.

It is understood that each unit is equipped with an anti-submarine warfare suite that includes lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, and mines. Armament also comprises a 30 mm close-in weapon system and 12.7 mm stabilized remote-control guns. For underwater detection and surveillance, the platforms are fitted with a hull-mounted sonar and a low-frequency variable depth sonar.