DRDO develops new generation Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for mine countermeasure missions

A new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) has been successfully developed by the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for mine countermeasure missions. The system comprises multiple AUVs equipped with Side Scan Sonar and Underwater cameras as primary payloads for real-time detection & classification of Mine-Like Objects. The onboard deep learning based target recognition algorithms enable autonomous classification, significantly reducing operator workload and mission time.

Additionally, a robust underwater acoustic communication has been integrated to facilitate inter-AUV data exchange during operations ensuring enhanced situational awareness.

The recently-concluded field trials at NSTL/Harbour have successfully validated salient systems parameters and critical mission objectives. Multiple industry partners are involved in system realization and the system will be ready for production in next couple of months.

DRDO hands over Medium Range-Microwave Obscurant Chaff Rocket to Indian Navy

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the Medium Range-Microwave Obscurant Chaff Rocket (MR-MOCR) to the Indian Navy at a ceremony held in New Delhi on June 26, 2024. Microwave Obscurant Chaff (MOC), a niche technology developed by DRDO’s Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, obscures radar signals and creates a microwave shield around platforms and assets, thus reducing radar detection.

A special type of fibres, with a diameter of few microns and unique microwave obscuration properties, have been assembled in the medium-range chaff rocket. The rocket, when fired, forms microwave obscurant cloud in space spreading over a sufficient area, with adequate persistence time, thus creating an effective shield against hostile threats having Radio Frequency seekers.

The Phase-I trials of MR-MOCR were successfully conducted from Indian Navy ships, demonstrating the MOC cloud blooming and being persistent in space. In Phase-II trials, the Radar Cross Section (RCS) reduction of an aerial target to the extent of 90 per cent has been demonstrated and cleared by the Indian Navy. The number of MR-MOCR, meeting all the qualification requirements, have been successfully handed over to the Indian Navy.