Indian navy tested heavy weight torpedo ‘Varunastra’
Recently indigenously designed and developed heavy weight torpedo ‘Varunastra’ with live warhead was successfully flight tested by the Indian Navy against an underwater target.
This indigenous heavy weight torpedo will enhance the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of the Navy.
According to the Defense Ministry, Varunastra is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo with low drift navigational system, acoustic homing, advanced acoustic counter measurement features, autonomous guidance algorithm, non-sensitive munitions warhead etc.
The torpedo was fired from a submarine and successfully hit the target at a distance of 40 km.
The Vizag-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of the Defense Research and Development Organization has designed the Varunastra missile system, and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is responsible for its production.
The Varunastra Heavy Weight Torpedo is an electrically powered torpedo capable of anti-submarine and anti-ship operations.
It has a maximum strike range of 40 km, and can travel at a speed of over 70 kmph at a maximum depth of 600 metres.
Source – The Hindu