Mothership, MCM, Trials Platform: Indian Navy Inducts First Multi-Purpose Vessel

The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak at Karwar on October 16, 2026, bringing its first locally built multi-purpose vessel into service for trials and support missions. Constructed by Larsen & Toubro, the approximately 107-meter, 3,700-ton vessel is intended to act as a mothership for unmanned mine-countermeasure platforms and to support weapons testing, target deployment and maritime assistance tasks. Samarthak is the first of two vessels ordered under a March 2022 contract worth approximately 8.87 billion rupees for the pair. Its flexible mission equipment and support role distinguish it from a conventionally armed surface combatant or dedicated minehunter.