DRDO develops new Man-portable AUVs for mine countermeasure missions

DRDO's NSTL has developed new Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) for mine countermeasures. The system uses AI for autonomous target recognition and is ready for production, marking a milestone in naval mine warfare.

A new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) has been successfully developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for mine countermeasure missions, the Ministry of Defence said in a release.

Advanced Capabilities and Features

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.

Successful Trials and Production Readiness

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 realisation, and the system will be ready for production in the next couple of months.

A Major Milestone for Naval Warfare

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat has complimented the NSTL team for the successful development of MP-AUVs, terming it as a major milestone towards a deployable, intelligent, and networked mine countermeasure solution. It offers rapid response capability with reduced operational risk and logistic footprint for naval mine warfare applications, he said.

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