Source: PIB
Subject: Defence Exercise
Context: INS Mahe, India’s first Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Mumbai.
About INS Mahe:
What it is?
- INS Mahe is the lead ship of the indigenously designed Mahe-class ASW Shallow Water Craft, built to conduct anti-submarine warfare in coastal and shallow waters.
- It serves as the first line of coastal defence, supporting larger ships, submarines and naval aviation assets.
Developed By:
- Designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.
- Over 80% indigenous content, making it a major milestone in Aatmanirbhar Bharat and indigenous naval capability.
Aim:
- To detect, track and neutralise submarine threats in India’s littoral zones.
- To enhance India’s coastal security architecture and provide persistent maritime surveillance.
Key Features of INS Mahe:
- ASW Shallow Water Craft: Optimised for operations in coastal, low-depth waters where larger platforms cannot manoeuvre effectively.
- Stealth and readiness: Embodied in its motto “Silent Hunters”.
- Advanced combat suite: A compact yet powerful network of
- modern weapons
- high-precision sensors
- advanced communication systems
- Superior ASW capability: Can detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with high accuracy.
- Modern systems: Equipped with technologically advanced machinery and integrated control systems.
- Design inspiration:
- Named after the historic coastal town Mahe on the Malabar Coast
- Crest features the Urumi (flexible sword of Kalaripayattu)
- Mascot: Cheetah symbolising speed and focus
Significance:
- Boosts India’s ASW capabilities: Enhances surveillance and submarine-tracking capacity in crucial littoral waters.
- Strengthens coastal defence: Forms the forward layer of India’s multi-layered maritime security grid.
- Major stride in indigenisation: Reinforces India’s ability to design and build complex naval combatants.
