look news india
New Delhi, March 13 (HS). Two shallow water craft built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy were launched in Kolkata on Wednesday. The launching ceremony of 'Agre' and 'Akshay', built under the Anti Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (SWC) project, was presided over by Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary. Keeping in mind the maritime tradition, Neeta Chaudhary, wife of the Air Force Chief and President of the Air Force Family Welfare Association, launched the ships with an invocation from the Atharva Veda.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers is building eight ships under the ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC) project for the Indian Navy. The ships launched today are the 5th and 6th to be named after the Indian Navy's predecessor Abhay class corvettes Aggrey and Akshay. The contract for the construction of eight ASW SWC ships was signed on April 29, 2019 between the Ministry of Defense and GRSE.
In the last one year, 03 indigenously built warships, submarines have been supplied to the Indian Navy and a total of 09 warships have been launched. The launch of two more ships of the project highlights the country's resolve towards 'Self-reliant India' in shipbuilding. The first ship of the project is planned to be delivered during the first half of 2024. The ASW SWC ships will have more than 80 per cent indigenous content, thereby increasing employment and capacity within the country.
The Arnala class ships will replace the Abhay class ASW corvettes in service with the Indian Navy and are designed to conduct anti-submarine operations, low intensity maritime operations (LIMO) and mine laying operations in coastal waters. The ASW SWC ships are 77.6 meters long and 105 meters wide, with a displacement of 900 tonnes and an endurance of over 1800 nmi.