Anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra inducted into the Indian Navy
Indigenously-built heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra has been successfully inducted in the navy, making India one of the eight countries to have the capability to design and build such a system.
Developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a premier laboratory of DRDO, the electric torpedo was today formally handed over to Indian Navy and the induction is set to be a “game-changer” boost for it.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the programme is not only a boost to country’s indigenous capability but also an opportunity for export to other countries.
Defence sources said sale of Varunastra, weighing around 1.25 tonnes that carries about 250 kg of explosives at a speed of around 40 nautical miles an hour, was also one of the issues that came up for discussion during Parrikar’s recent visit to Vietnam.
Having almost 95 per cent indigenous content, Varunastra, costing about Rs 10-12 crore per unit, is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines, both in deep and littoral waters in intense counter-measure environment.
“Successful induction of Varunastra into our navy will be a game-changer in favour of the warships in the sub-surface warfare. This landmark has put navy in elite club of navies across the globe that can boast of self-reliance in under water sensors and under water weapons,” Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said.
He however rued that the development of this torpedo had “indeed being long”. “We need to work towards a reasonable time-frame from concept to realisation to address our capability gap in time,” he said.
