India To Boost Military Capabilities By Building First-of-its-Kind Underwater Launched UAVs

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched a groundbreaking effort to construct underwater unmanned aerial vehicles (ULUAVs) in partnership with Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd, a Pune-based defence startup.

The initiative, funded by DRDO’s Technology Development Fund (TDF), represents a significant step forward in India’s defence technology capabilities.

The project intends to provide cutting-edge capabilities to India’s defence forces and position India at the forefront of maritime defence innovation.

Sagar Defence Engineering won the contract after beating off 17 competitors in an intensely competitive bidding process.

The contract was signed in a ceremony attended by key stakeholders, such as the Director of DRDO’s Technology Development Fund, Dr GA Srinivasa Murthy, Dr Nidhi Bansal, the Director of the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, and representatives from the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Submarine Acquisition (DSMAQ).

ULUAVs, designed to be launched autonomously from submarines, have extraordinary endurance and long-range capabilities.

These UAVs, with their speedy, safe, and autonomous deployment capabilities, will conduct discreet surveillance missions, allowing submarines to monitor possible threats secretly.

The tiny unmanned systems designed to effortlessly move from underwater to aerial missions while maintaining continuous communication will transform the dynamics of underwater and aerial military operations.

Their real-time surveillance capabilities will provide submarines with improved situational awareness.

Submarines’ command and control capabilities will be expanded by incorporating ULUAVs into naval operations, providing a tactical advantage through increased sensor range and operational prowess.

ULUAVs will play an important role in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, improving maritime security and operational effectiveness.

This historic agreement exemplifies the government’s unwavering commitment to developing an Indigenous defence sector and accelerating technical advancement.

Reference: TOI, Financial Express

India To Boost Military Capabilities By Building First-of-its-Kind Underwater Launched UAVs appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News