Varunastra (torpedo)

Last updated

Varunastra
Varunastra.jpg
Varunastra
TypeHeavyweight anti-submarine torpedo
Place of origin India
Service history
In service29 June 2016 [1]
Used byNaval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy
Production history
Designer Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (DRDO)
Manufacturer Bharat Dynamics Limited
Unit cost₹10 crore (US$1.2 million) - ₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) [2]
No. builtUnknown
Specifications
Mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
Length7.78 m (25.5 ft)
Diameter533.4 mm (21.00 in)
Warhead High explosive
Warhead weight250 kg (550 lb) [3]
EngineElectric
Silver Oxide Zinc (AgOZn) batteries
Operational
range
40 km (25 mi) [4] to 50 km (31 mi) [5]
Maximum depth600 metres (2,000 ft) [3]
Maximum speed 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph) [3] to 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) [6]
Guidance
system
Wire-guided, active-passive acoustic homing. Augmented by GPS/NavIC satellite guidance. [7]
Launch
platform

The Varunastra (Literally Projectile of Varuna ) is an Indian advanced autonomous heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo, developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Navy. It is named after a legendary weapon created by the Hindu god of the oceans, Varuna. [9]

Contents

The ship launched variant of Varunastra torpedo was formally inducted in the Indian navy by defence minister Manohar Parrikar and security designed by security adviser satyam kumar on 26 June 2016. [1] [10] The minister in his speech said that the Government is in favour of exporting the torpedo to friendly nations including Vietnam. [11] [12] With some minor modifications the submarine variant of the torpedo is to be test fired shortly. [13]

Design

This torpedo is powered by an electric propulsion system with multiple 250 kW (340 hp) Silver Oxide-Zinc (AgOZn) batteries. [14] It can achieve speeds in excess of 40 kn (74 km/h; 46 mph), weighs around 1.5 tonnes and can carry 250 kg (550 lb) of conventional warhead. This torpedo has more than 95 per cent indigenous content. Varunastra has conformal array transducer which enables it look at wider angles than most common torpedoes. It also has an advanced autonomous guidance algorithms with low drift navigational aids, insensitive warhead which can operate in various combat scenarios. It is the only torpedo in the world to have a GPS-based locating aid. [2] [15] [16] The exercise variant of Varunastra has integrated instrumentation system for recording all the dynamic parameters of the weapon, redundancy in recovery aids in case of emergency shut down or malfunction. [2]

Development

In May 2014 it was reported that the Indian Navy is scheduled to carry out User Evaluation Trials (UETs) during the mid-year period. The assembly of the prototype was done by a team from Bharat Dynamics Limited at the Talwar facility of NSTL in Visakhapatnam. [17]

In FY2015-16, the torpedo underwent 130 technical trials while 14 user trials were conducted between January and March 2015. In September 2015, MoD granted final approval for the torpedo's User Evaluation Trials (UETs) and eventually it was accepted for induction into Services. [16]

Varunastra will be manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited in association with NSTL. [15]

During Aero India 2017, it was reported that DRDO has begun test-firing of a submarine-launched variant of the torpedo. A Sindhughish-class submarine is being used as the launch platform for the development. The variant was reportedly accepted and ready for production. [18] [19]

In April 2018, Bharat Dynamics Limited obtained a license to manufacture Varunastra from the DRDO. [20] In June 2019, Ministry of Defence awarded a contract worth ₹1,187 crore (equivalent to ₹15 billionorUS$180 million in 2023) to Bharat Dynamics Limited to supply Varunastra to the Indian Navy. [21]

On 6 June 2023, Indian Navy successfully conducted combat trial of Varunastra. The torpedo was fired from a submarine and successfully hit an underwater target. [22]

In September 2024, Apollo Micro Systems Limited received an order for Software Defined Universal Homing System for the Heavy Weight Torpedo from Bharat Dynamics Limited. [23]

Further development

Shakti thermal torpedo

Shakti heavyweight torpedo uses thermal propulsion technology in contrast to the Varunastra torpedo which uses electric propulsion. The torpedo employs monopropellant fuel, which allows combustion to take place without aerial oxygen, and a pumpjet. Its propulsion unit generates 400 kW of power for faster acceleration. It can operate at a maximum depth of 600 metres (2,000 ft), a maximum speed of 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph). The first image emerged publicly in Twitter on 9 June 2023 which hinted that the torpedo is going sea trials. [24] [25] [26]

Takshak torpedo

Takshak torpedo is the advanced version of the Varunastra torpedo which employs an electric battery for propulsion. It has a length of 6.4 metres (21 ft) which is shorter from the previous variant, enabling to be launched from submarines. It also features Ring Laser Gyro Inertial Navigation System (RLG INS) as well as GPS/NavIC-based guidance. Takshak has 2 variants: submarine-launched with wire guidance and ship-launched with autonomous guidance. The torpedo, as of May 2024, is ready for sea trials with the Indian Navy which will pave way for induction for deployment. [27] [28]

Operators

Flag of India.svg  India

Possible operators

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prithvi (missile)</span> Indian series of short-range missiles

Prithvi is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). It is deployed by India's Strategic Forces Command.

Trishul is a low-level quick-reaction short range surface-to-air missile developed in India by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). It can also be used as an anti-sea skimmer from naval ship against low flying missile, attack helicopter and aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astra (missile)</span> Indian beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile

Astra is an Indian family of all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Different missiles of this family are capable of engaging targets at varying distances of 500 m (0.31 mi) up to 340 km (210 mi). Astra Mk-1 has been integrated with Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and will be integrated with Dassault Mirage 2000, HAL Tejas and Mikoyan MiG-29 in the future. Limited series production of Astra Mk-1 missiles began in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BrahMos</span> Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile

The BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, fighter aircraft or TEL. It is a joint venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, who together have formed BrahMos Aerospace. The missile is based on P-800 Oniks. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

<i>Kamorta</i>-class corvette Anti-submarine warfare stealth corvettes of the Indian Navy

The Kamorta-class corvettes or Project 28 are a class of anti-submarine warfare corvettes currently in service with the Indian Navy. Built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, they are the first anti-submarine warfare stealth corvettes to be built in India. Project 28 was approved in 2003, with construction of the lead ship, INS Kamorta commencing on 12 August 2005. All of the four corvettes, INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti were commissioned in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirbhay</span> Indian subsonic cruise missile in limited service and further development

Nirbhay is a long range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile designed and developed in India by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) which is under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads. It is currently deployed in limited numbers in Line of Actual Control (LAC) during standoff with China.

The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) is an Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), located in Visakhapatnam. Its main function is the research and development of underwater weapons and associated systems. NSTL is organized under DRDO's Directorate of Naval R&D. The present director of NSTL is Dr. Abraham Varughese and Director General(DG) is Dr Y. Sreenivas Rao, Distinguished Scientist.

<i>Nilgiri</i>-class frigate (2019) Indian stealth guided-missile frigates

The Nilgiri-class frigates, formally classified as the Project-17 Alpha frigates (P-17A), are a series of stealth guided-missile frigates currently being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy (IN).

<i>Kalvari</i>-class submarine (2015) Class of submarines based on the Scorpène-class submarine

The Kalvari-class submarines, formally classified as the Project-75 submarines (P-75), is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines operated by the Indian Navy. Currently being constructed by a syndicate of French and Indian shipyards, namely, Naval Group and Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) respectively, the class is an export derivative of the French-origin Scorpène-class submarine, originally designed by Naval Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torpedo Advanced Light Shyena</span> Lightweight ASW torpedo

The Torpedo Advanced Light (TAL) Shyena is the first indigenous advanced lightweight anti-submarine torpedo of India, developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Navy. The lightweight torpedo can be launched by ships, helicopters and previously the now retired Ilyushin Il-38, named after the divine hawk identified with Agni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maareech ATDS</span> Torpedo Decoy System

Maareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System (ATDS) is a torpedo detection and countermeasure system used by the Indian Navy. The system offers a complete solution to detect and locate an incoming torpedo and to apply countermeasures to protect naval platform against torpedo attack. It was developed as a joint project of the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi and the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barak 8</span> Medium to long-range surface-to-air missile

Barak 8, also known as LR-SAM or MR-SAM, is an Indian-Israeli jointly developed surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs as well as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and combat jets. Both maritime and land-based variants of the system exist.

INS <i>Kadmatt</i> (P29) Anti-submarine corvette in the Indian Navy

INS Kadmatt (P29) is the second of four anti-submarine warfare corvettes built for the Indian Navy by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, of Kolkata, under Project 28. She was inducted into the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.

USHUS is an Integrated Submarine Sonar System developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). It has been developed for use in submarines of the Indian Navy, especially for Sindhughosh-class submarines. Some reports also suggest that Arihant-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines are also equipped with USHUS system. USHUS replaces Russian systems like MGK-400 and MGK-519 sonars on Indian submarines.

<i>Visakhapatnam</i>-class destroyer Class of stealth guided missile destroyers

The Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, also classified as the P-15 Bravo class, or simply P-15B, is a class of guided-missile destroyers currently being built for the Indian Navy. The Visakhapatnam class is an upgraded derivative of its predecessor, the Kolkata class, with improved features of stealth, automation and ordnance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudram (missile)</span> Indian anti-radiation, air to surface missile system

The Rudram is a series of supersonic and hypersonic air-to-surface ground attack and anti-radiation missiles in development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. It can be launched from a range of altitudes with large standoff distance for destroying enemy surveillance radars, communication stations and bunkers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QRSAM</span> Indian surface-to-air missile

Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) is a missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics Limited for the Indian Army, meant for protecting moving armoured columns from aerial attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMART (missile)</span> Long range anti submarine missile

SMART is a canister-based, long-range supersonic anti-submarine missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Navy.

This article consists of projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Weapon of Water: India gets its first indigenous torpedo, Varunastra". NewsX. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Varunastra joins the Navy; 9 things you must know". Rediff News. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 T. S. Subramanian (23 March 2014). "Underwater might". Frontline. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Indian Navy commissions fourth and final Kamorta-class corvette". Janes.com. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Siddiqui, Huma (7 June 2023). "Varunastra Torpedo to enhance Indian Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities, Know all about its powerful features here". Financialexpress. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Katoch, P.C (15 June 2023). "Varunastra Torpedo". www.spsnavalforces.com. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Varunastra joins the Navy; 9 things you must know". Rediff. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  8. 1 2 Purohit, Jugal R (15 February 2017). "India to fire self-made torpedo VARUNASTRA from our submarines, says DRDO". India Today.
  9. ↑ Siddiqui, Huma (7 June 2023). "Varunastra Torpedo to enhance Indian Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities, Know all about its powerful features here". Financialexpress. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra inducted in Navy". The Indian Express. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  11. ↑ "India joins elite group of eight with anti-submarine Varunastra in arsenal". The New Indian Express. 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Eye on China, Delhi offers heavy torpedoes to Vietnam". The Times of India. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Indian Navy inducts indigenous heavyweight torpedo Varunastra". India Today. IANS. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Indian Navy's most powerful ships rely on DRDO technology". indiastrategic.in. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  15. 1 2 Jain, Smriti (30 June 2016). "Varunastra: 5 things to know about the lethal DRDO torpedo for Indian Navy". The Financial Express. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Varunastra Torpedo to enhance Indian Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities, Know all about its powerful features here". Financialexpress. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Varunastra to undergo evaluation trials soon". The Hindu. 28 February 2014. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  18. ↑ Purohit, Jugal R (15 February 2017). "India to fire self-made torpedo VARUNASTRA from our submarines, says DRDO". India Today.
  19. ↑ "India To Test Fire Home-Made Torpedo From Russian EKM Class Submarine". www.defenseworld.net. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "BDL to make 'Varunastra'". The Hindu. 12 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Rao, Sushil (14 June 2019). "India set to join heavyweight torpedo club". The Times of India.
  22. 1 2 "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE - YEAR END REVIEW 2023". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Apollo Micro Systems wins order from Bharat Dynamics - Check details ,Companies News, Business News | Zee Business". www.zeebiz.com. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  24. ↑ "Indian Navy test fires Shakti thermal torpedo". Indian Defense Analysis. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  25. ↑ Sri, Aman (22 July 2023). "India getting a new secret torpedo?". brahmastraspace. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  26. ↑ @PRO_Vizag (9 June 2023). "Alarm Torpedo – Enemy Beware!!" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 August 2024– via Twitter.
  27. ↑ SUBRAMANIAN, T. S. "Underwater might". Frontline. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  28. ↑ "India's Next-Gen Torpedo, Takshak, Set for Sea Trials: A Deep Dive into BDL's Latest Innovation". Defence.in. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "Hon'ble RM hands over Varunastra to Indian Navy". Indian Navy. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  30. ↑ Ziezulewicz, Geoff (30 June 2016). "Varunastra missile handed over to Indian navy". UPI.
  31. ↑ Bedi, Rahul (4 July 2016). "Indian Navy inducts indigenous Varunastra heavyweight torpedo". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
  32. ↑ "Indian Navy to soon get first batch of indigenously-built torpedo Varunastra". DNA India . 9 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.