Indian Navy to Get DRDO’s New Man-Portable AUVs for Mine Warfare
The development of a new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) by the Visakhapatnam-based Naval Science & Technological Laboratory — a premier establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has raised India’s defence capabilities to a whole new level. These compact, yet highly advanced systems have been specifically designed for mine countermeasure operations and are a big leap toward the safer and more efficient conduct of naval warfare.
The MP-AUV system integrates multiple autonomous vehicles equipped with advanced Side Scan Sonar and underwater imaging cameras. These payloads permit real-time detection and classification of mine-like objects by the AUVs. Enhancing this capability further, the platform also carries deep-learning-based target recognition algorithms, which can thus enable autonomous identification with reduced human intervention. This not only reduces mission duration but also significantly reduces operator fatigue and overall operational risk.
One such leading characteristic of the system is the robust underwater acoustic communication link, which will provide seamless data sharing among the AUVs during missions. This inter-vehicle communication enriches situational awareness and enables coordinated, intelligent decision-making in complicated underwater environments.
The MP-AUVs have demonstrated their core operational parameters and met all critical mission objectives during the recently completed field trials at NSTL Harbour. The system has been built with contributions from multiple industry partners, and production is likely to start in the coming months.
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Chairman, DRDO, congratulated the NSTL team for this achievement. He termed the MP-AUVs as an essential milestone toward creating deployable, intelligent, and networked mine-countermeasure solutions. According to him, this technology delivers faster response capability while minimizing operational hazards and reducing the logistical footprint associated with traditional mine-clearing methods.
With the induction of these next-generation AUVs, India takes another step in securing its autonomous underwater warfare ecosystem and further contributing to maritime security with smarter, safer, and agile operations underwater.
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