The Indian Navy on Thursday launched its most advanced and state-of-the-art anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft, named Amini.

A ceremonial 'ship launch', where a newly-built ship is transferred from land to the water, was performed on Thursday.

The vessel is named after a strategically important island in the Lakshadweep archipelago on India's western coast, almost 400 km off Kochi, Kerala.

This is the fourth in the series of eight anti-submarine warfare shallow watercrafts being built in India by domestic shipyards for the Indian Navy.

Four of these ships, each with more than 80 per cent indigenous content, have been launched this year.

The ceremony, which was presided over by Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, and other top officials, took place at the Larsen and Toubro Shipyard in Chennai, southern India.

In keeping with maritime tradition of the Indian Navy where the spouse of the senior officer carries out the launching ceremony and a puja (prayer) is performed, Manju Naithani, wife of admiral Sandeep, launched the ship to the invocation from the Atharva Veda, a Hindu holy scripture. 

The 77-meter-long anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft has a displacement of 900tons, a maximum speed of 25knots(46.3kmph) and an endurance of approximately 1800Nautical miles(3333kms).

These vessels are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and Low-Intensity Maritime Operations and Mine-laying operations. 

The contract for building eight anti-submarine warfare ships was signed between India's Defence Ministry and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, in April 2019.

As per the build strategy, four ships are being built at GRSE, Kolkata, and the remaining four are subcontracted to L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli, for hull and part outfitting.

These contracts being executed within the country, help generate employment, offer a boost to Indian industry and help enhance related infrastructure. 

At the time of launching, a ship is not in a state of operational readiness. In fact, of the Float-Move-Fight criteria, the ship can only perform its float role, at the time of launch.

After launch, the ship would have to be integrated with various equipment, systems, and sub-systems, they would have to be tested rigorously and proven. Thereafter, the ship's weapon systems and armaments are to be integrated and tested.

During these phases, when the ship is nearing the final stages of readiness, it is commissioned into the Indian Navy and it earns the prefix INS - Indian Navy Ship.

Finally, once this entire process is complete, it can undertake its wide gamut of operations and fulfill the Float-Move-Fight objectives. 

(With inputs from agencies)