Navy commissions third anti-submarine shallow water craft Mangrol with over 80% indigenous content

Another warship joined the Indian Navy's fleet on Monday. Named 'Mangrol', it is the third anti-submarine vessel designed to find and fight submarines in shallow waters. The addition is expected to boost the Navy's capability to protect coastal areas, ports and sea lanes in particular.

The vessel has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, was the chief guest at the commissioning ceremony.

Mangrol carries several modern systems for weapons and sensors. These include a hull-mounted sonar named 'Abhay', lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and an advanced torpedo decoy system named 'Marich'. With this equipment, enemy submarines can be detected and the threat they pose can be reduced.

The vessel can operate in coordination with maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and other warships. It can also be used for underwater surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations and mine-related operations. It is fitted with three diesel engines and a waterjet propulsion system, which allow Mangrol to change direction quickly and operate effectively in shallow waters.

More than 80 per cent of the material used in building the vessel is indigenous. This shows that India has the capability to build warships and develop modern defence technology.

The vessel is named after Mangrol, a coastal town in Gujarat's Junagadh district. It carries forward the legacy of the earlier INS Mangrol, which served in the Indian Navy until April 2004. With the induction of the new Mangrol, the country's coastal maritime security is expected to be strengthened further.