Designed to serve as a “Dolphin Hunter” for detecting, tracking, and neutralising enemy submarines in coastal waters, INS Anjadip is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on February 27. Anjadip is the third vessel in the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) series.
The Indian Navy said Monday the warship will be formally commissioned into the Eastern Naval Command at Chennai Port, and the ceremony will be presided over by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
“The Indian Navy is set to enhance its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities with the commissioning of Anjadip, the third vessel of the eight-ship ASW-SWC project… The induction of Anjadip, named after the historically significant island off the coast of Karwar, significantly bolsters the Navy’s capacity to safeguard India’s vast maritime interests and coastal approaches including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Area, marking another key step in transforming the Indian Navy into a formidable ‘Builder’s Navy’,” the Navy said.
The ship’s crest, featuring a Shankh (conch), was unveiled Monday.
Unveiling its crest, the Navy said in a post on X, “The Shankh symbolises divine energy, purity, and the sound of creation. Anjadip’s operational prowess – encompassing its Anti-Submarine Capabilities is powerfully encapsulated by its motto – “Anvishya Shatrun Vijaya Sada — seek the enemy, and be ever victorious.”
State-of-the-art vessel with cutting-edge weapons
In December 2013, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave a nod for the procurement of 16 ASW vessels at a cost of over Rs 13,000 crore. Contracts for 16 ASW SWC were signed for the construction of the ships — eight ships will be constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, and the other eight by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.
Given India’s extensive coastline of 7,516 kilometres, along with 12 major ports, 184 minor ports, and 1,197 island territories, coastal surveillance for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations is considered critical.
“Built by GRSE, Anjadip is a state-of-the-art vessel specifically designed to address the challenges of the littoral combat environment—the coastal and shallow waters vital for the nation’s security. The vessel is engineered to act as a ‘Dolphin Hunter’, focused on the detection, tracking, and neutralisation of enemy submarines in coastal areas,” the Indian Navy said.
The ship is packed with an indigenous, cutting-edge ASW weapons and sensor package, including the Hull-Mounted Sonar Abhay, and is armed with Lightweight Torpedoes and ASW Rockets. In addition to its primary ASW role, the agile and highly manoeuvrable warship is also equipped to undertake coastal surveillance, Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), and Search and Rescue operations.
The 77 metre-long ship features a high-speed Water-Jet Propulsion system, enabling it to achieve a top speed of 25 knots for rapid response and sustained operations.
Among the 16, the Arnala-class is being built by the GRSE, while the Mahe-class is being built by the CSL. Arnala-class includes Arnala, Androth, Anjadip, Amini, Abhay, Agray, Ajay, and Akshay. The Mahe-class comprises the newly commissioned Mahe, Malvan, Mangrol, Malpe, Mulki, Magdala and Machilipatnam.
A series of ASW SWC inductions is bridging a longstanding operational gap by giving the Navy the crucial ability to detect and counter stealthy diesel-electric submarines operating close to the coastline, an area where larger surface combatants cannot manoeuvre effectively.
Their low draught, advanced sonars, and high manoeuvrability make them essential for securing harbour approaches, sea-lanes leading to major ports, offshore energy assets and operational bases, which are vulnerable and economically vital maritime assets.
The Indian Navy said Monday the warship will be formally commissioned into the Eastern Naval Command at Chennai Port 
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