Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft

The Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) corvettes, are a class of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels currently being built for the Indian Navy, by Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE). They were conceived as a replacement to the ageing Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy, and are designed to undertake ASW duties – including subsurface surveillance in littoral waters, search-and-attack unit (SAU) missions and coordinated anti-submarine warfare operations with naval aircraft. They were also designed to provide secondary duties – including defense against intruding aircraft, minelaying and search-and-rescue (SAR).

Equipped with sophisticated sensors and ordnance, the vessels also possess the capabilities to interdict and destroy subsurface targets – primarily hostile submarines, within the vicinity of coastal waters. A total of 16 vessels are being built for the Indian Navy, jointly by CSL and GRSE under the Make in India initiative. The Indian Navy plans to have all 16 vessels in active service by 2026.