Navy’s new INS Mangrol warship commissioned near Mumbai coast: India's newsubmarine hunter is armed with sonar, torpedoes and rockets to hunt and counter enemies' underwater threats

Indian Navy has commissioned INS Mangrol at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. It is the third Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft built by Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi. The ship is designed to track and destroy submarines in coastal and shallow waters where larger warships cannot operate effectively.

INS Mangrol takes its name from a port town in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, known for its marine fishing industry. It also carries forward the legacy of an earlier INS Mangrol, a minesweeper that served the Indian Navy from 1983 until April 2004. The name has deep roots in India’s naval and coastal history.

More than 80 percent of the vessel is made using indigenous components, reflecting how far India’s domestic warship building has come. Key suppliers include Bharat Electronics, Mahindra Defence Systems and Larsen and Toubro. It is part of a 16-ship programme split between Cochin Shipyard and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.

The ship carries the Abhay hull-mounted sonar for underwater detection, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Maareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System. It also has a 30 mm naval gun and two remote-controlled 12.7 mm guns, giving it the ability to operate independently in contested coastal zones.

INS Mangrol displaces around 900 tonnes, stretches 78 metres and is powered by three diesel engines coupled to waterjets for high manoeuvrability. It can reach 25 knots and travel up to 1,800 nautical miles. Stealth features reduce its radar, acoustic and infrared signatures, making it harder for enemy submarines to detect first.

Shallow coastal waters are difficult for large warships but ideal hunting ground for enemy submarines. INS Mangrol is specifically designed for this environment. Its roles include anti-submarine warfare, underwater surveillance, mine warfare and low-intensity maritime operations, and it can coordinate with patrol aircraft, helicopters and other naval vessels.

INS Mangrol is the third of eight Mahe-class vessels. Combined with eight Arnala-class ships being built by GRSE, India is inducting 16 such warships in total. The final delivery is expected by June 2028. Together they are meant to protect ports, harbours and maritime approaches from underwater threats along India’s entire coastline.(Image credits: PIB)