MUMBAI, 24 November (H.S.): The Indian Navy significantly augmented its coastal defence capabilities on Monday with the formal commissioning of INS Mahe, the first of the indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC). The induction ceremony, held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, was presided over by Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, underscoring the growing synergy among India's armed forces.

Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, INS Mahe is a testament to India's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, featuring over 80% indigenous content. The vessel is the lead ship of eight in its class, designed specifically for anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters where larger warships cannot operate.

Its motto is Silent Hunters, reflecting its core mission of stealthily detecting, tracking, and neutralizing subsurface threats.

In his address, General Dwivedi highlighted that the commissioning of INS Mahe reflects India’s expanding capability to design and construct complex combatants with indigenous technology. He emphasized that the strength of the armed forces lies in synergy and that future conflicts would be multi-domain, requiring a united national effort.

He cited the Army and Navy's long-standing partnership in joint operations as a model of inter-service cooperation.Fitted with advanced sonar, torpedoes, and anti-submarine rockets, INS Mahe and its sister ships will form the first line of coastal defence. They are designed to integrate seamlessly with larger naval assets to maintain constant vigilance over India’s maritime interests.

The ship is named after the historic coastal town of Mahe, and its crest features an Urumi, a traditional flexible sword, symbolizing agility and lethal precision.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar