Keel laying of the first warship (BY 523, Mahe) of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Craft (ASW SWC) project under construction by CSL, Kochi, was undertaken on 30 Aug 22 by VAdm Kiran Deshmukh, CWP&A in presence of Shri Madhu S Nair, CMD, CSL, Commodore V Ganapathy, WPS (Koc), CSL, Directors and other senior officials of CSL and Indian Navy.

Speaking on the occasion, VAdm Kiran Deshmukh, CWP&A, appreciated CSL’s efforts in achieving the milestone despite Covid constraints and resultant lockdowns. He called it a noteworthy achievement by the shipyard and commended the professionalism displayed by all. Further, he highlighted that construction of these vessels is a major boost for the ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ and India’s ‘Make in India’ commitment. The Chief Guest indicated that keel laying is a major milestone activity in the shipbuilding process and paves way for the amalgamation of various blocks towards a fully constructed ship.

CWP&A further added that these platforms will undertake sub-surface surveillance in coastal areas with the purpose of detecting and neutralizing underwater threats.

During the address, CMD-CSL highlighted that despite several challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic during the execution of this complex shipbuilding project, the shipyard has ensured continuous production of ships through innovative solutions. He thanked the Indian Navy for their unstinted support and reiterated the shipyard’s commitment to delivering quality ships on time.