Silent Claws: Mahe Class' Second Anti-Submarine Vessel INS Malvan Commissioned Into The Indian Navy; To Strengthen Shallow-Water Surveillance

The Indian Navy on Wednesday commissioned INS Malvan, the second of eight indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC). The vessel, which officially entered service during a formal ceremony held at the naval base in Karwar, is said to give a major boost to India’s littoral combat capabilities.

Warship named after Malvan, honoring Shivaji Maharaj's maritime legacy

​The newly inducted warship inherits the proud legacy of her namesake – an inshore minesweeper that served the Indian Navy for 19 years before being decommissioned in 2003. The name itself connects to the historical coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, a region deeply tied to the legendary maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

​Reflecting this warrior lineage, the ship’s crest prominently features the ‘Bagh Nakha’ (Tiger’s Claw), the iconic weapon used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Encircling the claws are ocean waves, symbolising agility, tactical audacity, and constant vigilance along the nation's coastlines. Meanwhile, the ship's motto “Silent Claws” reflects the vessel's primary doctrine to hunt silently in coastal waters and strike adversary underwater threats swiftly.

Water-jet propulsion reduces acoustic signature for shallow operations

The vessel's capabilities include shallow-water surveillance, mine-laying and anti-submarine operations where larger surface ships face maneuvering constraints. Notably, the Mahe-class vessels are the largest warships in the Indian Navy to utilise water-jet propulsion rather than conventional propellers. This design minimises underwater acoustic signatures, drastically improves agility in shallow littoral zones, and reduces susceptibility to underwater obstacles.

The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, in presence of Western Naval Command's Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, alongside senior officers, shipbuilders from Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), and naval veterans.

Maritime security vital for protecting sea trade routes, says Air Chief

The Air Chief Marshal emphasised the pivotal role of maritime security in protecting sea lines of communication. He noted that uninterrupted oceanic trade forms the bedrock of national economic prosperity in an increasingly turbulent geopolitical climate.

​Highlighting the warship’s 80% indigenous content, he praised the Indian Navy's long-standing leadership in self-reliance and commended the Navy's practice of embedding design and engineering officers directly inside shipyards during construction. He reaffirmed the imperative for seamless tri-service integration, noting that joint synergy across the Army, Navy, and Air Force remains critical for triumph in multi-domain conflicts.