From anti-submarine craft to India’s largest dredger: Cochin Shipyard launches three vessels in a day
The ASW SWC, built for the Indian Navy, was launched by Renu Rajaram, wife of Vice Admiral R Swaminathan.
The ASW SWC, built for the Indian Navy, was launched by Renu Rajaram, wife of Vice Admiral R Swaminathan.
The ASW SWC, built for the Indian Navy, was launched by Renu Rajaram, wife of Vice Admiral R Swaminathan.
Kochi: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) achieved a major milestone on Saturday by launching three technologically advanced vessels in a single day — an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), a hybrid-electric methanol-ready Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), and India’s largest Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger, DCI Dredge Godavari.
The ASW SWC, built for the Indian Navy, was launched by Renu Rajaram, wife of Vice Admiral R Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Indian Navy. The Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD), with a hopper capacity of 12,000 cubic metres, constructed for the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), was launched by Sirobhushanam Sujatha of DCI. The Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), designed for offshore wind farm operations, was launched by Vasantha, wife of B Kasiviswanathan, Chairperson of Cochin Port Authority.
The day’s events were held in two separate ceremonies. The launching of the ASW SWC took place in the morning and was presided over by Madhu S Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of CSL. The launch of the dredger and CSOV followed in the afternoon.
The ASW SWC, the sixth in a series of eight vessels being built for the Indian Navy, will be commissioned as INS Magdala. The 78-metre-long, 896-tonne craft can reach speeds up to 25 knots. Designed and built indigenously, it is equipped with advanced underwater sensors, lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, and mine-laying capability.
The vessel can perform a wide range of operations, including low-intensity maritime missions, coordinated ASW operations with aircraft, and search-and-rescue tasks in coastal waters. Once inducted, this ASW SWC class will replace the Indian Navy’s ageing Abhay-class corvettes, significantly enhancing India’s near-shore anti-submarine warfare strength with greater automation, manoeuvrability, and endurance.
Built in collaboration with Royal IHC, Netherlands, a global leader in dredger design, the DCI Dredge Godavari measures 127 metres in length and 28.4 metres in width. Its 12,000-cubic-metre hopper capacity allows it to store large volumes of dredged material onboard.
The vessel can dredge up to 36 metres deep and achieve a top operational speed of 15 knots. It represents a major boost for India’s dredging capability, supporting port development and coastal infrastructure projects across the country.
The hybrid-electric, methanol-ready CSOV is a 93-metre-long, 19.6-metre-wide vessel equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including hybrid propulsion, methanol-ready engines and large lithium-ion battery packs.
It also features a motion-compensated gangway system for safe personnel transfer, and doubles as a floating hotel for offshore technicians, offering world-class living standards and low noise levels. The vessel is specially designed to support the construction, commissioning, and maintenance of offshore wind farms.