Indian Navy to commission third anti-submarine warfare craft, Mangrol, today

Built by Cochin Shipyard with over 80% indigenous content, the vessel is designed for underwater surveillance and mine warfare tasks.

The Indian Navy will commission Mangrol, its third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Monday. Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), the indigenous vessel is designed to detect and counter submarine threats in coastal waters and will strengthen the Navy’s shallow-water operational capabilities.

Mangrol is named after the coastal town and fishing harbour in Gujarat’s Junagadh district and revives the name of the earlier INS Mangrol.

The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

Indigenous construction highlights defence manufacturing capabilities

With more than 80% indigenous content, Mangrol highlights India’s growing capabilities in warship construction and defence technology. The vessel was built by CSL under the government’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, a naval officer said.

Equipped with the Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Mareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System, the vessel is designed to detect underwater threats and respond to them.

Powered by three diesel engines and waterjet propulsion, Mangrol is built for manoeuvring in shallow waters. It can also undertake underwater surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations and mine warfare-related tasks.

Vessel to strengthen coastal anti-submarine capabilities

The ship is expected to strengthen the Navy’s ability to monitor and respond to submarine threats in coastal areas, where larger warships may face operational limitations. It can work alongside maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and other warships to detect and counter underwater threats, helping protect ports, harbours and coastal approaches while supporting wider fleet operations, the naval officer said.

The commissioning comes amid evolving maritime security challenges and growing underwater threats. It will also add to the Navy’s fleet of shallow-water anti-submarine warfare vessels. The Navy has previously commissioned Mahe and Malvan, the first two vessels in the ASW-SWC series.