The Sukhoi fleet has undergone modifications enabling it to carry the air-launched BrahMos supersonic missile, allowing long-range precision strikes against enemy targets, including hostile aircraft carriers, with accuracy by day and night under all-weather conditions. The Su-30 MKI is an all-weather air-dominance fighter with multi-role capabilities, capable of undertaking long-distance air combat and ground-attack missions.

Autonomous underwater vehicles for mine countermeasure missions

The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, under DRDO, has successfully developed a new generation of man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) for mine countermeasure missions.

Dr Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, said, “The MP-AUV offers rapid response capability with reduced operational risk and logistic footprint for naval mine warfare applications.”

The system comprises multiple AUVs equipped with side-scan sonar and underwater cameras for real-time detection and classification of mine-like objects. Onboard deep learning-based target recognition algorithms enable autonomous classification, significantly reducing operator workload and mission time.

To enhance situational awareness, “a robust underwater acoustic communication system has been integrated to facilitate inter-AUV data exchange during operations,” the MoD added. Recent field trials at NSTL/Harbour have successfully validated the system’s key parameters and mission objectives.