Mumbai: The Indian Navy on Monday commissioned INS Mangrol, the third vessel in the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) series, strengthening its capabilities to detect and counter underwater threats in shallow coastal waters.
The vessel was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai by Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.
Indigenously built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, INS Mangrol is designed to operate in shallow and confined waters, where larger warships may face operational limitations. It will play a key role in safeguarding ports, harbours, coastal approaches and strategically important maritime infrastructure against hostile submarines.
With more than 80% indigenous content, the vessel reflects the Navy’s efforts to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing under the Centre’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
INS Mangrol is equipped with the Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Mareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System. These systems enable the vessel to detect, track and engage hostile submarines while deploying countermeasures against incoming torpedoes.
Powered by three diesel engines and fitted with waterjet propulsion, the vessel offers high manoeuvrability in shallow and confined waters. Besides anti-submarine warfare, it can undertake underwater surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations and mine warfare tasks. It can also operate alongside maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and other naval platforms to strengthen coastal surveillance.
Addressing the commissioning ceremony, Vice Admiral Vatsayan said the Navy had commissioned 10 ships in 2026, with another eight expected to enter service by the end of the year.
He said the Navy’s fleet currently comprised 151 platforms, including 131 ships and 20 submarines. As many as 42 ships are under construction at Indian shipyards, while Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) has been accorded for another 69 ships, six submarines and 120 Fast Interceptor Craft.
With these additions, the fleet is projected to grow to more than 170 platforms over the next few years, with a new ship being commissioned every 40 to 50 days, he said. By 2034, approximately 60% of the Navy’s platforms are expected to be less than 10 years old on average.
The Mahe-class programme is also intended to replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes, which entered service between 1989 and 1991. The Defence Acquisition Council approved the acquisition of 16 shallow-water anti-submarine vessels in 2013.
INS Mahe, the first vessel in the series, was commissioned in Mumbai on November 24, 2025, while INS Malvan, the second vessel, entered service at Karwar Naval Base on July 22, 2026.
INS Mangrol was delivered to the Navy on March 31, 2026, ahead of its commissioning. Named after the coastal town and fishing harbour of Mangrol in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, the warship also carries forward the legacy of an earlier INS Mangrol, a minesweeper that served the Navy until April 7, 2004.
