The Indian Navy commissioned 'Androth', the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at a ceremonial event today at the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard. The ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
The commissioning of INS Androth signifies yet another milestone in India's quest for maritime strength and self-reliance. The ship is designed to boost the Indian Navy's sub-surface prowess and add a punch to its coastal security by patrolling in the littoral waters with advanced weapons and sensors. The ship is an embodiment of India's resolute efforts towards enhancing its coastal security and establishing dominance in the underwater domain.
All about anti-submarine warfare ship Androth
'Androth' is an indigenous state-of-the-art Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC). It has been built by Kolkata's Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). According to the government, 'Androth' is a testament to its vision of aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) and a "shining symbol of India’s growing maritime self-reliance".
With over 80 per cent indigenous content, the 77-metre-long warship displacing about 1500 tones, is equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, weapons, and propulsion systems designed specifically to detect and neutralise underwater threats in the littoral battlespace. The warship demonstrates the maturity of India's shipbuilding industry and the resolve to design, develop and deliver complex platforms within the country under compressed timelines.
The commissioning of Androth will significantly bolster the Navy’s ASW capabilities, especially in countering threats in littoral waters. It reflects the Navy's sustained emphasis on indigenisation, innovation, and capability enhancement, while also highlighting the vital role of GRSE in strengthening India’s maritime security architecture.
The ASW-SWC class is specifically designed to operate in shallow and coastal waters, where conventional large warships are less effective in tracking submarines. Equipped with advanced hull mounted and variable depth SONARs, torpedoes, mines, and close-range ASW weapons.
INS Androth strengthens India's ability to detect and neutralise enemy submarines in littoral zones. "These ships pose strong deterrence to enemy submarines attempting to operate near our waters and strike fear in the heart of our adversaries," a Navy spokesperson said.
The ship augments the Navy's layered anti-submarine warfare grid, complementing larger destroyers, frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. Beyond ASW, its versatility in patrol, surveillance, and coastal defence makes it a force multiplier, ensuring India’s maritime borders remain secure.
The induction of INS Androth is more than just the arrival of a new warship, the augmentation of this compact yet lethal war-machine is a reaffirmation of India’s growing maritime capability, its resolve to safeguard national interests, and its commitment to building a modern and self-reliant Navy which becomes the preferred security partner and first responder in the Indian Ocean Region.
In INS Androth, a technological and tactical marvel, the name of a proud sentinel island now resonates as an epitome of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a symbol of strategic maritime resolve, and a source of national pride.
Androth's name and its significance
Named after Androth Island in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the ship draws inspiration from an island that has historically stood as a guardian of India's western seaboard.
"Androth Island has watched over our waters as a sentinel, overlooking vital sea lanes that carry the nation’s energy lifelines and commercial trade from the Middle East and Africa to the Indian coast," the spokesperson said.
These waters are critical for India's energy imports and trade flow, and have also been prone to challenges like smuggling, piracy, and infiltration attempts. An island like Androth fortifies the frontline of India’s western maritime security grid.
Naming the ship after Androth Island, the Navy symbolically ties the island's sentinel role with the warship's purpose - to safeguard India's coasts and choke points from underwater threats. Just as Androth Island stands watch over the Arabian Sea, INS Androth will serve as a maritime guardian at the Eastern seaboard, it added.
