NEW DELHI: Amid Pakistan’s plans to augment its underwater combat capabilities, the Indian Navy is set to commission Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Monday.

The ceremony will be presided over by General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff.

In a statement, the Indian Navy said, “The commissioning of Mahe will mark the arrival of a new generation of indigenous shallow-water combatants – sleek, swift, and resolutely Indian.”

“She will serve as a ‘Silent Hunter’ on the Western Seaboard – powered by self-reliance and dedicated to safeguarding India’s maritime frontiers,” the Navy added.

With over 80 per cent indigenous content, the Mahe-class showcases India’s growing mastery in warship design, construction, and integration.

Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, Mahe represents the cutting edge of India’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative in naval ship design and construction. Compact yet powerful, the ship embodies agility, precision, and endurance – qualities vital for dominating the littorals.

Designed with a blend of firepower, stealth, and mobility, the ship will undertake submarine-hunting missions, coastal patrols, and the protection of India’s vital maritime approaches.

Named after the historic coastal town of Mahe on the Malabar Coast, the ship’s crest features an ‘Urumi’, the flexible sword used in Kalaripayattu, symbolising agility, precision, and lethal grace.

The ships being manufactured at CSL are part of the Navy’s larger plan to upgrade its anti-submarine warfare capability.

The Mahe-class ships will be equipped with indigenously developed, state-of-the-art underwater sensors. They are envisaged to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, as well as low-intensity maritime operations and mine-laying tasks.