KOCHI (PTI):  As part of the initial phase of the vessel building process, the steel cutting ceremony of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASWSWCs) for the Indian Navy was held on Tuesday at the Cochin Shipyard Limited here.

Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar declared through video conference the commencement of steel cutting of first steel plate for Ship No BY 523 in the presence of top officials of Indian Navy and CSL, a CSL release said.

The steel cutting ceremony is one of the initial milestones in the vessel construction process.

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) said it signed the contract for construction and supply of eight ASWSWCs for the Navy on April 30, 2019 in a competitive bidding process.

The order value for the eight vessels is Rs 6,311 crore.

The project is to be completed in 90 months from date of signing the contract.

The ASWSWCs are designed for a speed of 25 knots and complement of 57 and capable of full-scale sub-surface surveillance of coastal waters and coordinated ASW operations with aircraft.

In addition, the vessels will have the capability to interdict/destroy sub-surface targets in coastal waters.It can also be deployed for day and night search and rescue in coastal areas.

The vessels will be equipped with highly advanced state-of-the-art integrated platform management systems, propulsion machinery, auxiliary machinery, power generation and distribution machinery and damage control machinery etc, the release said.

These technologically advanced vessels are designed and engineered indigenously and will be equipped with various payloads to cater to the vessels functions.

Significant part of the payloads and solutions will be from Indian firms and these vessels once commissioned will showcase the country's Atmanirbhar capabilities, it added.