Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) Programme · Arnala-class ASW corvette series (8-ship shallow-water craft tranche)
GRSE-designed 8-ship shallow-water ASW corvette programme (Arnala class), split across GRSE and Goa Shipyard, filling India's littoral anti-submarine coverage gap; lead ship commissioned 2024, hulls completing through 2025-26.
Last verified:
At a Glance
- indicators
- ["tier A","5 source(s)","indexable"]
- key specs
- []
What It Is
The Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) programme is an Indian Navy acquisition to field a series of small, shallow-draft anti-submarine corvettes — the Arnala class — designed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) specifically to hunt submarines and undersea threats in India's coastal, shallow waters where large frigates and destroyers cannot operate effectively. The programme addresses a well-documented capability gap: growing adversary submarine fleets (notably Pakistan's expanding submarine force, and China's sea-based presence in the Indian Ocean) versus India's limited littoral ASW assets. The core 8-ship shallow-water craft order was split across GRSE (Kolkata) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), which had earlier built related patrol-craft series. The ships carry a hull-mounted sonar and an integrated ASW suite — lightweight torpedo tubes, ASW rocket launchers, and variable-depth sonar on later hulls — plus a compact gun for self-defence. The programme is a flagship of indigenous littoral warship construction and complements the larger Nilgiri-class frigates and the P-75 submarine programme. Ship names follow coastal islands and historic naval anchor points (Arnala, Anjadip, etc.). The lead ship commissioned in 2024, with the remaining hulls commissioning on a rolling basis through 2025-26.
Deployments & Procurement
The ASW-SWC programme runs in two linked tranches: an initial GRSE ASW-covette design and its follow-on expansion into an 8-ship shallow-water craft order (2019), split across GRSE and GSL. The lead ship commissioned in 2024 and subsequent hulls — the Arnala-class series — are commissioning through 2025-26. The class distributes across the Indian Navy's Eastern and Western Commands for coastal ASW patrol. Precise per-ship contract value is not uniformly published (broadly reported at ~₹1,500-1,600 crore per ship; values vary by yard/tranche — flagged as uncertain).
| Agency | Context | Year | Quantity / Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Navy | Initial ASW/ASW-corvette order from GRSE | 2013 | Initial GRSE ASW corvette design batch | [1] |
| Indian Navy | 8-ship ASW-SWC shallow-water craft order | 2019 | 8 ships split across GRSE and GSL | [1] |
| Indian Navy | Lead-in-series ASW-SWC (Arnala) commissioned | 2024 | Class lead commissioned | [1] |
| Indian Navy | Remaining ASW-SWC hulls commissioning | 2026 | Rolling commissioning across 2025-26 | [1] |
Open Questions
- Exact per-ship cost and total programme value for the 8-ship tranche
- Final hull count and remaining commissioning schedule
- Whether a further ASW-SWC follow-on tranche is planned
Import Dependencies
The ASW-SWC is substantially indigenous but retains imported sonar transducers, CIWS and propulsion modules.
| Component | Severity | Note | Pillar | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar transducers / arrays | High | Hull sonar initially sourced/assisted from abroad; indigenising | /research/pillars/defence/ | [1] |
| CIWS / close-in weapon system | High | AK-630 (Russia) typically; indigenous alternatives developing | /research/pillars/defence/ | |
| Diesel engines | Medium | Main propulsion diesels imported (MTU/Pielstick family) | /research/pillars/defence/ | |
| ASW weapon sub-systems | Medium | Lightweight torpedoes and some ASW components licensed/imported | /research/pillars/defence/ |
Intelligence Assessment
Methodology: /research/methodology
Sonar, CIWS, propulsion partly imported; sensor suite indigenising
Sources: [1]
Shallow-water ASW corvette is an exportable, less-sensitively-specified Indian design
Knowledge Graph
Maker — Other Systems
Peer Systems
Related Pillars
Timeline
FAQ
What is the ASW-SWC programme?
The Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) programme is an Indian Navy acquisition for a series of small, shallow-draft anti-submarine corvettes (the Arnala class), designed by GRSE to counter submarines in India's coastal shallow waters.
Sources: [1]
Which shipyards build the ASW-SWC?
The 8-ship programme is split across Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), which designed the class and built the lead hulls, and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), which builds a tranche of the follow-on hulls.
Sources: [1]
Why does India need shallow-water ASW ships?
Large frigates and destroyers are too large and deep-draft to effectively hunt submarines in India's shallow coastal waters and straits. These specialist ASW corvettes with hull-mounted sonar fill the littoral anti-submarine coverage gap, protecting ports, sea lanes and coastlines from submarine incursions.
Sources: [1]
How many ASW-SWC ships are being built?
The core programme is an 8-ship shallow-water craft order (2019), split across GRSE and GSL, building on an earlier GRSE ASW-corvette design. The lead ship commissioned in 2024 and the remaining hulls are commissioning through 2025-26.
Sources: [1]
Open Questions
- Exact per-ship cost and total programme value
- Final hull count and remaining commissioning schedule
- Any follow-on ASW-SWC tranche under consideration
Sources
- src-1CredibleASW Shallow Water Craft — GRSE programme
GRSE ASW-SWC design and programme detail
- src-2IndicativeAnti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (Indian Navy)
Class history, tranches and shipyard split
- src-3OfficialIndian Navy — commissioning and programmes
PIB commissioning releases for ASW-SWC vessels
- src-4CredibleINS Anjadip commissioned at Chennai - third of eight anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft
ASW-SWC programme commissioning
- src-atlas-listingIndicativeAnti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) Programme — Defence Atlas listing
Own register: indicative only, never official per standing evidence rules. All listing-derived figures in this dossier are attributed to this source.