According to information published by the Indian government on December 23, 2022, ‘Arnala’, the first of 08 x ASW SWC Project, being built by GRSE for the Indian Navy was launched at M/s L&T, Kattupalli, Chennai.
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Launching ceremony of first Arnala class ASW SWC corvette Arnala. (Picture source: Indian gov)
She made her first contact with water of Bay of Bengal at 1040 hrs at the Launch Ceremony graced by Smt Rasika Chaube, Financial Adviser (Defence Services), Ministry of Defence.
In keeping with the Naval maritime tradition, Smt Rasika Chaube launched the ship to the chanting of invocation from Atharva Veda. The ship has been named Arnala to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Arnala (located about 13 Km north of Vasai, Maharashtra) by the great Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between MoD and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata on 29 Apr 19. Arnala class of ships will replace the Abhay class ASW Ships of Indian Navy and are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) including subsurface surveillance in littoral waters. The 77.6m ASW SWC ships have a displacement of 900 tons with a maximum speed of 25 knots and endurance of 1800 NM.
The ASW SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content, ensuring that large scale defence production is executed by Indian manufacturing units thereby generating employment and capability build up within the country.
Equipped with sophisticated sensors and ordnance, the vessels also possess the capabilities to interdict and destroy subsurface targets – primarily hostile submarines
The ASW-SWC vessels are the biggest vessels of the Indian Navy to be powered by water-jet propulsion; the vessels' water-jet propulsion system allows the vessel to sprint swiftly for short intervals.
The vessels are also reported to possess several features of stealth – including a reduced radar cross-section (RCS), a low acoustic signature and a low infrared signature.
They are equipped with one small-calibre cannon (presumably the CRN-91 30 mm naval gun) and two 12.7 mm M2 "Stabilized Remote Controlled Gun" remote-weapon stations (RWS), equipped with optronic control systems.
