Varunastra: Heavy-Weight Torpedo
Indigenously designed and developed heavy-weight torpedo (HWT) Varunastra was recently successfully test-fired with a live warhead against an undersea target by the Indian Navy.
- Varunastra is ship launched, heavy weight, electrically-propelled anti-submarine torpedo capable of targeting quiet submarines, both in deep and shallow waters in an intense counter-measures environment.
- It was designed and developed by Vizag-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL).
- Varunastra can be fired from all Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy weight torpedoes.
- It has a length of 7.78 meters (25.5 feet) and a diameter of 533.4 mm (21.00 in).
- It is capable of being launched from surface ships and submarines.
- It can achieve speeds in excess of 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph) and has a range of 40 km (25 mi).
- Weighing around 1.5 tonnes, it can carry a 250 kg (550 lb) high-explosive warhead and has a maximum operating depth of 600 metres (2,000 ft).
- It has long range with multi manoeuvring capabilities.
- The torpedo’s guidance system uses active-passive acoustic homing, wire guidance, and GPS/NavIC satellite guidance.
- It has conformal array transducers that allow it to look at wider angles than most common torpedoes.
- It also has an advanced autonomous guidance algorithm with low drift navigational aids, an insensitive warhead that can operate in various combat scenarios, and a GPS-based locating aid.
