The indigenously developed Varunastra- a ship-launched anti-submarine heavy weight torpedo (HWT)- was successfully test fired on June 6, 2023.
Key points
- This indigenous HWT will enhance the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities and make it a formidable force.
- The torpedo was fired from a submarine and successfully hit a target at a range of 40 kilometers.
- The test was conducted in the Arabian Sea in the presence of senior officials from the Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Vizag-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) designed the Varunastra missile system and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) is responsible for its production.
- The Varunastra HWT is an electrically-powered torpedo capable of anti-submarine and anti-ship operations.
- It has a maximum strike range of 40 kilometers and can travel at speeds of more than 70 kilometers per hour at a maximum depth of 600 mts.
- The torpedo is equipped with an active-passive acoustic homing system and a low-drift inertial navigation system.
