INS Anjadip is the third ship of the Arnala class of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC). The ship has been ordered by the Indian Navy and was delivered on 22 December 2025.
Known as the "Dolphin Hunter", it was officially commissioned into the service on 27 February 2026 at Chennai. This ship features a high-tech Combat Management System and advanced SONAR to identify and eliminate underwater threats with precision.
History
Background On 23 December 2013, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) –- the main acquisition panel subordinate to India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), approved the procurement of sixteen anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels capable of operating in shallow waters, at a cost of , to replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy – which were commissioned between 1989 and 1991. This includes the development of the vessels with about displacement and an operational radius of from its home port. They would be built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
In June 2014, the MoD issued a tender, worth USD2.25 billion under the 'Buy and Make India' category to private-shipyards – including Larsen & Toubro (L&T), ABG Shipyard, Pipavav Defense and Offshore Engineering, Goa Shipyard (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), for the procurement of the 16 anti-submarine vessels.
In October 2017, Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) emerged as the first and the second-lowest bidder in the tender, respectively. CSL had quoted a value of while GRSE had to match the bid value of CSL in order to get the contract.
Purchase On 29 April 2019, the MoD and GRSE signed a contract, valued at , for eight anti-submarine vessels, to be delivered between 2022 and 2026. The contract mandates the first vessel to be delivered within 42 months of the date of signing, with the remaining seven vessels delivered at a rate of two ships per year within 84 months.
On 30 April 2019, the MoD and CSL signed a similar contract for the construction of the remaining eight vessels – within a deadline of 84 months. Under this contract, the first ship was also expected to be delivered within a span of 42 months, with subsequent deliveries of two ships per year.
Construction GRSE formed a Public Private Partnership alliance with Larsen & Toubro involving its Kattupalli Shipyard to undertake the entire ASW SWC project along with the Survey Vessel (Large) Project.
The keel laying ceremony of the ship, along with (fourth ASW SWC) and (fourth Sandhayak-class survey vessel), was conducted on 17 June 2022 at Kattupalli Shipyard. Christened Anjadip, the ship was launched into the water of the Bay of Bengal on 13 June 2023. The chief guest of the event was the then Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command (C-in-C, SFC), Vice Admiral R. B. Pandit. The event was followed by the keel laying of the seventh ship under ASW SWC at yard 3032, named INS Abhay.
The ship was delivered to the Indian Navy on 22 December 2025 and was expected to be commissioned in January 2026.
The ship was commissioned on 27 February at the Chennai Port under the Eastern Naval Command by the Chief of the Naval staff.
Namesake The ship, Anjadip, was named after her predecessor, a retired , which itself was a subclass of Soviet-origin . The name of the ships is inspired by the Anjediva Island located off Karwar, Karnataka, reflecting the island's strategic importance in the maritime domain of India. The island is connected with the mainland of India by a breakwater and is part of , a naval base.
Design
Weapons
Sensors
References