Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) Project
Recent Developments (as of November 2023)
- Launch of ‘Amini’: Fourth vessel, highlights naval strength enhancement
- Name Significance: Reflects strategic importance of Amini Island, Laksha
Background
- Initiation: December 2013
- Approval: Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), India
- Objective: Replace Abhay-class corvettes
- Cost: ₹13,440 crore (2013 value)
Tender and Contracts
- Tender Issued: June 2014, to private shipyards
- Winning Bidders: Cochin Shipyard (CSL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE)
- Contract Date: April 2019
- Contract Value: ₹6,311 crore for 8 ships each (GRSE and CSL)
- Delivery Timeline: 2022-2026
Construction
- Start: December 2020 (CSL), December 2020 (GRSE)
- Key Milestones: Steel-cutting, keel laying, launching
- Current Status: Ongoing construction
Design and Capabilities
- Vessels: 16 ASW SWC ships
- Builder Diversity: Different designs by CSL and GRSE
- Length: 77.6 meters (GRSE), 78 meters (CSL)
- Displacement: 700 tons (CSL), 900 tons (GRSE)
- Speed: 25 knots
- Range: 1,800 nautical miles
- Armament: RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher, lightweight torpedoes, anti-submarine mines
- Propulsion: Water-jet propulsion
- Stealth Features: Reduced radar, acoustic, infrared signatures
- Crew: 57 (7 officers + 50 sailors)
- Sensors: Hull-mounted sonar, towed low-frequency variable-depth sonar
Strategic Role
- Primary Missions: ASW operations, subsurface surveillance, SAU missions
- Secondary Duties: Defense against aircraft, minelaying, search-and-rescue
- Operational Area: Coastal and littoral waters
Indigenous Contribution
- Make in India Initiative: Over 80% indigenous content
- Significance: Boosts local defense manufacturing, employment
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