India’s own Bond gadget spying under water
Feb 17: As the much-talked about India-China arms race spreads across the global commons — air, space and sea — and goes increasingly high-tech, the country has crossed a major milestone with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully completing sea trials of the indigenous Underwater Autonomous Vehicle (UWAV), the marine equivalent of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, the vehicle is a mini-submarine with its own intelligence and capabilities to launch surprise surgical strikes on any target across the seas.
The crucial phase of tests including its launch from a defence ship and maneuvering through various depths began early last December. The results were evaluated through last month and a confirmation that the tests had met all parameters was arrived at this week.
With this, India joins the league of naval powers with indigenous prowess to propel an unmanned, underwater vehicle that gives the jitters to its opponents. The 1.5-tonne, 4.7-metre vehicle can stay under water for any number of days.
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