'Dolphin Hunter' INS Anjadip commissioned, to enhance Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities

Chennai: The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned INS Anjadip, a warship aimed at augmenting the Indian Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities and coastal surveillance.

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi commissioned the ship at the Chennai Port.

This is the third of the eight vessels being built under the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft project.

The vessel is engineered to act as a "Dolphin Hunter", focused on the detection, tracking, and neutralisation of enemy submarines in coastal areas. The ship is packed with indigenous, cutting-edge Anti-Submarine Warfare.

At an official ceremony held at the Chennai Port, Admiral Tripathi formally commissioned the ship in the presence of senior Navy, government officials and other executives.

The 77-metre-long ship features a high-speed water-jet propulsion system, enabling it to achieve a top speed of 25 knots for rapid response and sustained operations.

Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata, INS Anjadip is a state-of-the-art vessel specifically designed to address the challenges of the littoral combat environment--coastal and shallow waters vital for the nation's security, the Navy said.

Besides the Anti-Submarine Warfare role, the warship is also equipped to take up coastal surveillance, Low-Intensity Maritime Operations and Search and Rescue operations.

The ship is packed with an indigenous, cutting-edge Anti-Submarine Warfare weapons and sensor package, including the hull-mounted sonar Abhay, and armed with Lightweight Torpedoes and ASW Rockets.

The induction of INS Anjadip, named after the island off the coast of Karwar in north Karnataka in the Arabian Sea, bolsters the Navy's capacity to safeguard India's vast maritime interests and coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

In his address, Admiral Tripathi said the Navy plans to induct 15 more ships this year, other than INS Anjadip.

He highlighted the state-of-the-art features in the newly inducted ship and said INS Anjadip is engineered for agility and combat readiness.

On the concept of self-reliance, he said that "from an Indian perspective, self-reliance or Atma Nirbharta is beyond Make in India; it is trust in India." He also highlighted the Indian Navy's active role in ensuring security for the country's maritime trade.