DRDO Develops Air-Independent Propulsion System for Indian Submarines
Land-based prototype tested in 2021; system to be installed in 14th submarine at Mazagon Dock
L'essentiel
- DRDO has developed a revolutionary air-independent propulsion (AIP) system for submarines, with land-based prototype tested in 2021.
- The system is in final preparation at L&T Hazira plant in Gujarat and will be installed in India's 14th submarine at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai.
- The AIP system will significantly enhance submerged endurance of diesel-electric submarines, with DRDO also developing a torpedo-mounted missile capable of destroying submarines 400km away, hypersonic glide missiles, and laser-directed energy weapons.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
India has historically relied on foreign technology for its submarine fleet. The development of indigenous AIP technology marks a significant milestone in India's defense self-reliance initiative. Diesel-electric submarines with AIP can stay submerged for extended periods without surfacing, making them harder to detect.
MUMBAI: A revolutionary air-independent propulsion system for submarines has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which will enhance the capability of the Navy, DRDO chairperson Samir V Kamat announced on Saturday during the commencement ceremony of IIT Bombay. Kamat said the land-based prototype of the system was tested in 2021 and the full version is now in the final stages of preparation at the L&T Hazira plant in Gujarat. “It will be handed over to Mazagon Dock in Mumbai, where it will be installed in the 14th submarine,” he said. The system is being designed and developed by DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory. Kamat said the main advantage of the new system is that it will have a force multiplier effect on the lethality of the diesel electric submarines enhancing what is known as the submerged endurance. In layman’s parlance it means it can remain submerged for a long time. He said the DRDO is developing a torpedo mounted on a missile which can destroy a submarine 400 km away. Also under development at DRDO is a hypersonic glide missile and a laser-directed energy weapon. On the integrated guided missile development programme, he said the Agni and Prithvi missiles are used for deterrence. “Thanks to them we have so far not faced any major attack,” he said. Kamat said the Akash missile and the airborne early warning aircraft developed by DRDO played a major and decisive role in Operation Sindoor last year.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
The AIP system will be successfully integrated into the 14th submarine within 18-24 months
Probable · En quelques mois
India will announce additional defense contracts related to submarine technology
Possible · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- When exactly will the 14th submarine be commissioned?
- What is the exact cost of the AIP system development?
- What are the specific capabilities of the torpedo-mounted missile?
