Indian Navy to commission second submarine hunter INS Androth on October 6

New Delhi: Amid a sharp rise in submarine activities in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is set to commission its second submarine hunter INS Androth on October 6.

This comes three months after the first one, INS Arnala was inducted in June. The navy plans to have 16 such anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft to deal with the rising maritime threats as China and Pakistan are increasing their underwater strength.

The induction of INS Androth will take place at the naval dockyard Visakhapatnam in the presence of Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata with 80% indigenous components, INS Androth is equipped to detect, track, and neutralise underwater threats with precision.

The name ‘Androth’ holds strategic and symbolic significance, derived from Androth island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, underscoring India’s commitment to safeguarding its maritime territories.

With a length of approximately 77 mt, INS Androth and INS Arnala are the largest Indian naval warships propelled by a diesel engine-waterjet combination and are equipped with state of the art lightweight torpedoes, indigenous anti-submarine warfare rockets, advanced shallow water SONAR, enabling effective submarine detection and engagement in littoral zones.

Though smaller in size compared to the Kamorta class anti-submarine warfare corvettes, these warships are capable of packing a punch. They would also undertake surveillance, search and rescue operations, and coastal defence missions across the spectrum of threats, official sources said.

The Indian Navy is inducting the new anti-submarine warfare ships at a time when both Pakistan and Chinese navies are adding more submarines to their fleet.

Pakistan Navy is strengthening its underwater fleet with eight new Chinese Hangor class submarines while China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy has over 370 surface ships and submarines, according to a US Defence Department assessment.

The delivery of the new submarine hunters to the Indian Navy began 12 years after the Rs 13,000 crore project was approved by the Defence Ministry. The commercial contract, however, was signed only in 2019 and construction began a year later.