On July 22, 2026, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Malvan, the second of eight indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW-SWC).
Commissioning Site- Commissioned at the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka, marking it as the first Indian Naval warship to be commissioned directly at Karwar.
Indigenization Ratio- Features over 80% indigenous content, engineered under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Historical Context & Cultural Symbolism
eographical Origin-G Derived from the historic coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, a region deeply tied to the maritime legacy and fortresses of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Predecessor Legacy- Reincarnates the identity of its predecessor, an inshore minesweeper (INS Malvan) that served the Navy until 2003.
Crest Symbolism- Features the 'Bagh Nakha' (Wagh Nakh / Tiger's Claw), symbolizing courage, agility, and audacity.
To replace four aging Abhay-class corvettes (Soviet-origin Pauk II-class), the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved a 16-vessel ASW-SWC program divided between two premier Indian shipyards-
Mahe-Class (8 Ships)- Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.(INS Mahe, INS Malvan, Mangrol, Malpe, Mulki, Magdala, Machilipatnam).
Arnala-Class (8 Ships)- Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata in partnership with L&T Kattupalli. (INS Arnala, Androth, Anjadip, Amini, Abhay, Agray, Ajay, Akshay).
Technical Specifications & Advanced Propulsion
Displacement & Dimensions- Displacement of 896 to 1,100 tonnes with a overall length of 78 meters.
Speed & Endurance- Reaches a top speed of 25 knots (~45 km/h) with an operational range of 1,800 nautical miles at 14 knots and an endurance of 14 days.
Waterjet Propulsion- Powered by three marine diesel engines (6 MW total) coupled to waterjet propulsors. a.) Operational Edge- Drawing in water beneath the hull and expelling it through nozzles eliminates traditional external screw propellers. This grants rapid acceleration, superior shallow-water maneuverability, reduced underwater acoustic signature (stealth against sonar), and protection from seabed obstacles in shallow littoral waters.
Sensors & Sonar Suite- Equipped with low-frequency active towed array sonars (ALTAS) and hull-mounted shallow-water sonars for underwater surveillance.
Weapons Suite-
Anti-Submarine- Forward-mounted RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher, triple 324 mm torpedo tubes firing Advanced Light-Weight Torpedoes (ALWT), and mine-laying rails.
Surface & Point Defence-A 30 mm main naval gun, two 12.7 mm Remote Controlled Weapon Stations (RCWS), and Mahindra Defence-supplied torpedo decoy launchers.
Strategic & Littoral Security Importance-
Filling the Shallow-Water Capability Gap- India possesses a 7,500-km coastline, 12 major ports, 184 minor ports, and 1,197 islands. Large surface combatants (destroyers and frigates) have deep drafts and high acoustic noise, making them unsuitable for close-to-shore submarine hunting.
Coastal Defence & Blue-Water Economy- The ASW-SWC fleet creates a dedicated anti-submarine screen along littoral approaches, harbour entrances, and offshore energy infrastructure. This frees up larger frigates and destroyers to focus purely on open-ocean blue-water operations.
Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO)- Apart from sub-hunting, the craft handles coastal surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), mine warfare, and maritime domain awareness (MDA) to counter asymmetric littoral threats.
