INS Agray · ASW Corvette / Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC)
Lead ship of the ASW-SWC (Arnala-class) shallow-water ASW corvette series; first-in-class commissioned 2024, sisters completing at GRSE and (for Agray batch) at Goa Shipyard; hull-integrated sonar; low-visibility ASW specialist for littorals.
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At a Glance
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- ["tier A","5 source(s)","indexable"]
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What It Is
Note: 'INS Agray' is used here as the platform entry for the ASW-SWC shallow-water anti-submarine warfare corvette series built under Project P-28I or its commercial-derivative ASW-SWC programme for the Indian Navy. The class — sometimes referred to as the Arnala class — was designed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) to counter submarines and undersea threats in India's shallow coastal waters, where large frigates are less effective. The ships carry a hull-mounted sonar and an integrated ASW suite including torpedo tubes, ASW rockets, and a variable-depth sonar variant on later ships, supported by a 30mm/76mm gun for self-defence. The programme is a flagship of the Indian Navy's 'Make in India' littoral ASW build-out, split between GRSE (the original class of 4) and a follow-on tranche (the ASW-SWC 8-ship order of which several hulls are built at Goa Shipyard Limited). As a member of the ASW-SWC programme, the Agray ships are optimised for the shallow-water ASW role, filling a critical gap in India's littoral anti-submarine coverage. The lead-in-series commissioning occurred in 2024; later hulls in the batch commissioned through 2025-2026. 'INS Agray' should not be confused with the earlier, unrelated naval usage of the name; the platform entry here tracks the contemporary ASW-SWC/series programme.
Deployments & Procurement
The ASW-SWC procurement runs in two tranches: an initial GRSE-designed and built batch (4 ships, ~₹1,571 crore each nominal programme-wide estimate varies) and a larger 8-ship shallow-water craft order placed in 2019 under Project ASW-SWC, split across GRSE (further hulls) and GSL. The Agray series hulls form part of this second, larger programme. Costs are not uniformly published; the class is broadly reported at around ₹1,500-1,600 crore per ship but precise values differ by yard and tranche — flagged as uncertain. The lead ship commissioned in 2024, with sisters following through 2025-26.
| Agency | Context | Year | Quantity / Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Navy | Initial ASW-SWC batch ordered from GRSE | 2013 | 4 GRSE ASW corvettes (lead ship of that design) | [1] |
| Indian Navy | Expanded ASW-SWC shallow-water craft order (8 ships) | 2019 | 8 wider ASW-SWC ships split across GRSE and GSL | [1] |
| Indian Navy | Lead-in-series ASW-SWC commissioned | 2024 | First ASW-SWC corvette (Arnala-class lead) commissioned | [1] |
| Indian Navy | Later ASW-SWC hulls (incl. Agray-series batch) commissioning | 2026 | Commissioning spread across 2025-26 as delivery continues | [1] |
Open Questions
- Exact per-ship contract value for the 2019 8-ship tranche (not uniformly published)
- Whether 'INS Agray' denotes a distinct hull or the whole Agray-series tranche — name/programme overlap needs confirmation
- Final total count (GRSE + GSL) and commissioning dates for remaining ASW-SWC hulls
Import Dependencies
The ASW-SWC is substantially indigenous but retains imported sonar transducers, some AA/CIWS weapons and propulsion modules.
| Component | Severity | Note | Pillar | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar transducers / arrays | High | Hull sonar initially sourced/technology-assisted from abroad (e.g. Thales RUWL) before indigenisation — severity Medium-High | /research/pillars/defence/ | [1] |
| CIWS / close-in weapon system | High | AK-630 (Russia) typically fitted; indigenous alternatives in development | /research/pillars/defence/ | |
| Diesel engines | Medium | Main propulsion diesel engines imported (e.g. MTU/Pielstick family) — indigenous naval diesel under development | /research/pillars/defence/ | |
| Torpedo / ASW weapon sub-systems | Medium | Lightweight torpedoes and some ASW weapon system components sourced or licensed | /research/pillars/defence/ |
Intelligence Assessment
Methodology: /research/methodology
Sonar, CIWS, propulsion partly imported; weapon sensor suite indigenising
Sources: [1]
8+ ship programme filling the littoral ASW gap across both navies commands
Sources: [1]
Shallow-water ASW corvettes are an exportable, less-sensitively-specified Indian design — GRSE marketing offshore
Knowledge Graph
Maker — Other Systems
Related Pillars
Timeline
FAQ
What does ASW-SWC stand for?
ASW-SWC stands for Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft — a class of coastal anti-submarine corvettes designed by GRSE to operate in India's shallow littoral waters where large frigates are ineffective against submarines and undersea threats.
Sources: [1]
Which shipyards build the ASW-SWC series?
The ASW-SWC programme is split between Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), which designed the class and built the lead ships, and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), which builds a tranche of the follow-on hulls.
Sources: [1]
Why does India need specialist shallow-water ASW craft?
Large frigates and destroyers are too big and too deep-draft to effectively hunt submarines in India's shallow coastal waters and straits. Specially designed shallow-water ASW corvettes with hull-mounted sonar fill this littoral coverage gap, protecting ports, sea lanes and the seabed around India's coastline from submarine incursions.
Sources: [1]
Open Questions
- Precise per-ship cost and total programme value for the ASW-SWC tranche
- Whether 'INS Agray' names a specific hull or a tranche — nomenclature confirmed by Indian Navy records
- Final hull count and remaining commissioning schedule
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 — ships and programmes
PIB commissioning releases for ASW-SWC vessels
- src-4CredibleINS Agray launched at Goa Shipyard for Indian Navy
INS Agray ASW-SWC launch report
- src-atlas-listingIndicativeINS Agray — 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.