‘Amini’, an Arnala class of ship for Indian Navy, was launched on Thursday at L&T Shipbuilding’s facility in Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu.
The 4th of 08 x ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC) project being built by the state-owned Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Amini is designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and also low intensity maritime operations (LIMO) and mine laying operations, said a Navy spokesperson.
The launch ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, Chief of Materiel, and his wife Manju Naithani launched the ship to the invocation from Atharva Veda. The ship has been named Amini to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Amini at Lakshadweep, located about 400 km west of Kochi, said the spokesperson.
The contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Kolkata -based GRSE on April 29, 2019. As per the build strategy, four ships are being built at the GRSE and the balance sub-contracted to L&T Shipbuilding for hull and part outfitting. Arnala class of ships will replace the in-service Abhay class ASW Corvettes of Indian Navy.