Varunastra

• The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired an indigenously developed heavyweight torpedo, “Varunastra” in Arabian Sea.

About

• Varunastra is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo and was designed and developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Features

• 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.
• It has acoustic homing with a wide look angle capable of tracking silent targets.
• Varunastra was inducted by Indian Navy in 2016 and can be fired from all Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy-weight torpedoes in an intense counter measures environment.

Significance

• The successful engagement of an underwater target by a Made-in-India heavy-weight torpedo is a significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s and DRDO’s quest for accurate delivery of ordnance on target in the underwater domain.
• It will replace the older torpedoes on all naval ships that can fire a heavyweight torpedo.