India
has decided to test domestically developed heavyweight torpedo Varunastra from
Russian EKM class submarines.
India’s
anti-submarine torpedo will be going on trial from INS Sindhughosh submarine
soon, Sputnik news reported today.
India has
offered this underwater missile to Vietnam and hopes for large orders from
several other naval forces around the world.
The
anti-submarine will be going into production phase, said Defense Research
Development Organization (DRDO).
The 7.6 meter
long Varunastra contains 95% indigenous content which can travel at speeds of
around 38 KT. A versatile naval weapon Varunastra has a strike range of 20
Kilometer.
Varunastra can
be fired from the Rajput class destroyers, Delhi class and all future
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships that are capable of firing heavy weight
torpedoes.
The weapon is
capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines both in deep and littoral
waters even in intense countermeasure atmosphere. DRDO also claimed that
anti-submarine torpedo has GPS based locating aid.
Indian Navy
had ordered 73 of the 1,500 kg wire-guided torpedoes for $132 million, which
will be manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad.
The Varunastra
is an Indian advanced heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo, developed by Naval
Science and Technological Laboratory of the DRDO for the Indian Navy.
The ship
launched variant of Varunastra torpedo was formally inducted in the Indian navy
by India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar on 26 June 2016. The minister in
his speech said that the government is in favor of exporting the torpedo to
friendly nations including Vietnam.
Source :- Defense World
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