Indian Navy receives anti-submarine warfare vessel Malwan

• ‘Malwan’, the second of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, was delivered to the Indian Navy on March 31.

• The vessel has been indigenously designed and constructed by CSL, Kochi to Indian Navy’s specifications in accordance with the Classification Rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

• The contract for building eight ASW-SWC ships was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Cochin Shipyard Limited on April 30, 2019.

• INS Mahe is the lead ship of eight vessels in her class. 

• The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe on November 24, 2025.

• ‘Malwan’ draws its name from the historic coastal town of Malwan in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, a region intrinsically linked to the illustrious maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

• The ship also encapsulates the legacy of the erstwhile INS Malwan, an Indian naval minesweeper which remained in service till 2003, thereby continuing the naval tradition of preserving distinguished warship names.

• The ship is equipped for underwater surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations in coastal waters, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) along with mine warfare capabilities. 

• Measuring approximately 80 metres in length and displacing 1,100 tonnes, the waterjets propelled ASW-SWCs are equipped with torpedoes, multifunctional anti-submarine rockets, and state-of-the-art sensors including advanced radars and sonar systems.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)