DRDO’s Varunastra, the first indigenous heavy weight ship launched anti-submarine electric torpedo, has been handed over to Indian Navy by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Varunastra is also known as underwater missile.
It is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines, both in deep and littoral waters in intense counter measure environment, says DRDO, whose lab Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) has developed the torpedo.
This torpedo has more than 95 per cent indigenous content. Bharat Dynamics has been associated with NSTL in the development of Varunastra as a production agency.
We take a look at five interesting facts about DRDO’s Varunastra torpedo for the Indian Navy:
1) Varunastra has been designed with latest technologies such as high speed and long endurance propulsion, software driven intelligence, conformal array acoustic homing with wide look angle and advanced digital signal processing, says DRDO.
2) The torpedo has advanced autonomous guidance algorithms with low drift navigational aids, insensitive warhead which can operate in various combat scenarios.
3) It has GPS based locating aid, a unique feature in contemporary torpedoes in the world, claims DRDO.
4) Varunastra has been extensively tested at sea in association with Indian Navy for evaluating the weapon capabilities as per Naval Staff qualitative requirements. The weapon has completed all environmental qualification tests like shock, vibration, temperature cycling, marine environmental tests etc.
5) Varunastra can be fired from the Rajput class destroyers, Delhi class and all future Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy weight torpedoes.
