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The Indian Navy will commission Mangrol, its third indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) from Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), on October 12 at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Named after the coastal town and fishing harbour of Mangrol in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, the vessel revives the name of the erstwhile INS Mangrol (M85), a minesweeper that served the Navy until April 7, 2004.
With more than 80 per cent indigenous content, Mangrol reflects the growing domestic capacity to design, build and integrate warships and advanced combat systems. Its construction is part of the government’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
The vessel is designed to detect and counter submarine threats in coastal and shallow waters, where larger warships can face operational constraints. Its sensor and weapons suite includes the Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Maareech advanced torpedo decoy system.
Powered by three diesel engines driving waterjets, Mangrol is built for high manoeuvrability in confined and shallow waters. Beyond its primary anti-submarine warfare role, it can undertake underwater surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations and tasks associated with mine warfare.
According to the Indian Navy, its induction will strengthen the Navy’s ability to monitor underwater activity and protect ports, harbours and coastal approaches. Operating alongside maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters and other naval platforms, the craft will add to the Navy’s capacity to detect and respond to submarine threats in the littoral environment.
The commissioning comes amid growing attention to underwater threats and the security of India’s maritime approaches. Smaller, specialised vessels such as Mangrol provide a complementary capability to the Navy’s larger surface combatants, particularly in waters where manoeuvrability and shallow-water operations are critical.
Mangrol is part of a wider programme of naval inductions, with the Indian Navy scheduled to commission a record 18 warships in 2026. The planned additions follow the commissioning of three indigenous platforms, Dunagiri, Sanshodhak and Agray, in Kolkata on June 21.
Team BharatShakti
