GRSE launches last of 8 anti-submarine warfare ships for Indian Navy

Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd on Monday launched the eighth and last ship, in a series of anti-submarine warfare shallow water crafts, built for the Indian Navy.

The ship, named Ajay, was launched by Priya Deshmukh, wife of Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, chief of materiel of the Indian Navy, who was the chief guest at a function in Kolkata.

The Kolkata-based warship maker has built eight anti-submarine warfare shallow water crafts for the Indian Navy, a GRSE official said.

These ships are versatile platforms and can participate in a variety of operations, he said.

The GRSE official also said these ships are designed and built with low draughts and are thus capable of coastal operations, he said.

They are equally capable of low-intensity maritime operations and laying mines, he said.

"These 77.6-metre-long and 10.5-metre-wide warships are also capable of full-scale sub-surface surveillance in coastal waters and can carry out operations against surface platforms as well," he said.

They can carry out coordinated anti-submarine operations with aircraft.

These warships pack a lethal anti-submarine suite comprising lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets and mines, the official added.