The Indian Navy has strengthened its coastal defence capabilities with the commissioning of INS Malvan, a new Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) designed to detect and destroy enemy submarines operating in shallow coastal waters.
The Indian Navy has become stronger with the arrival of INS Malvan, a modern warship built to hunt down enemy submarines in shallow coastal waters. It is the second ship of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi. The ship was handed over to the Navy on 31 March 2026.
The Mahe-class ships are specially made to work in shallow waters near the coast. Their main job is to detect and destroy enemy submarines, clear dangerous naval mines, and carry out Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) such as coastal security and patrol duties. In simple words, these ships act as watchful guards protecting India's coastline.
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INS Malvan is about 80 metres long and weighs 1,100 tonnes. It carries advanced sensors, torpedoes, and multi-purpose anti-submarine rockets to find and attack enemy submarines hiding underwater. The ship is powered by three marine diesel engines, each producing 6 MW of power, connected to a special water-jet system. This makes it the largest warship in the Indian Navy to use water-jet propulsion.
Water-jet propulsion is one of the most special features of this ship. As reported by TOI, instead of using traditional propellers, the ship pulls in water from below and pushes it out at high speed through nozzles, which moves the vessel forward. This system gives the warship better control, faster acceleration, and stronger performance in shallow waters. It also creates less underwater noise and reduces the risk of damage from hidden underwater obstacles, making it highly effective for submarine-hunting missions.
The ship can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots (45 km/h). It can travel up to 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km) at a speed of 14 knots (25 km/h) and can stay at sea continuously for 14 days without needing any outside support.
A proud fact is that INS Malvan is built with more than 80% Indian-made components. This strongly supports India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) mission by encouraging the design and building of warships within the country, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
The ship is being introduced to replace the older Abhay-class corvettes, which were earlier used to detect and fight enemy submarines in coastal and near-shore waters.
The Indian Navy officially commissioned INS Malvan on 22 July at the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. The commissioning ceremony was led by Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, in the presence of Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.
With this new addition, the Indian Navy takes another confident step towards guarding the nation's waters.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Published: 22 Jul 2026, 06:05 pm IST
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