India takes delivery of Amini, its fifth shallow-water submarine hunter from GRSE

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers delivered the anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft Amini to the Indian Navy on 5 November at Kattupalli in Tamil Nadu, according to the Economic Times, DefenceWatch and DD News material that cited the navy and the public broadcaster's PIB note.

The Economic Times and DefenceWatch both reported that Amini is the fifth of eight ASW shallow-water craft GRSE is building for the navy under the Mahe-class programme, and that the ship was handed over at the Kattupalli yard complex on India's east coast.

Times of India reporting said the craft was accepted by Rear Admiral Gautam Marwaha, chief staff officer for technical matters at Headquarters Eastern Naval Command, and that Amini is the 119th warship built by GRSE and the 81st delivered to the navy.

Across the reports, the vessel is described as designed for littoral anti-submarine work: sub-surface surveillance, search-and-attack missions, and coordinated ASW with naval aircraft, rather than blue-water escort alone.

DefenceWatch and Times of India put the hull at about 77.6 metres long with a draught of about 2.7 metres, powered by marine diesel engines driving waterjets for manoeuvre in shallow coastal water.

The Economic Times, citing the navy, said Amini carries lightweight torpedoes, indigenous anti-submarine rocket launchers and sonars. DD News added that the ship ranks among the navy's larger waterjet-propelled warships and is expected to support coastal surveillance and mine-laying work as well as ASW.

Times of India and DefenceWatch both said the craft carries an advanced combat management system and an indigenous 30 mm naval gun. TOI attributed the gun to GRSE manufacture; DefenceWatch framed it as domestically made.

Indigenous content figures differ slightly by outlet. The Economic Times and DD News said the ship has more than 80 percent indigenous content, while Times of India put the ASW-SWC class figure at 88 percent. The difference is recorded here as a reporting variance, not a contradiction the navy has resolved in public.

The ship is named for Amini Island in Lakshadweep and revives the name of a Soviet-origin Petya III-class ASW corvette decommissioned in 2002, according to the Economic Times, DefenceWatch and DD News.

GRSE remains under contract for the remaining Mahe-class boats in the eight-ship order. Times of India said the Kolkata yard is also building a Project 17A frigate, next-generation offshore patrol vessels and next-generation corvettes among a broader 13-platform naval order book.

For Indo-Pacific watchers, the delivery is a concrete coastal ASW increment rather than a new long-range strike platform: another shallow-draught hunter joining the navy's littoral screen as GRSE works through the rest of the class.