Boost For India Navy: Bharat Dynamics Delivered First Indigenous Heavy Weight Torpedo, Varunastra To Indian Navy

Vishakhapatnam, November 23: Giving a major boost to India’s Naval Firepower when India is looking at improving its naval capabilities, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BEL) has handed over its Heavy Weight Torpedo, Varunastra, to the Indian Navy.

The delivery of the unit was flagged off by Secretary DDR&D, Dr. G Satheesh Reddy in the presence of other senior officials of DRDO, Navy, and BDL. During the ceremony, Dr. Reddy appreciated the synergy between all stakeholders, especially the design agency NSTL and the production agency BDL for the manufacture of the first Varunastra. He suggested that BDL should gear up for new programs of ALWT and EHWT.

First Production unit of Heavy Weight Torpedo,(HWT), Varunastra, being produced by BDL Vishakhaptnam for Indian Navy is flagged off on 21 Nov'20 . The HWT is designed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, DRDO.
A major boost to #AtmaNirbharBharat.
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) November 22, 2020

Varunastra or the Heavy Weight Torpedo has been designed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation in Visakhapatnam. This product is also being offered for export, according to a BDL statement.

The delivery of the unit was flagged off by Secretary DDR&D, Dr G Satheesh Reddy in the presence of other senior officials of DRDO, Navy and BDL.
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) November 22, 2020

Varunastra is an anti-submarine torpedo and is electrically-propelled. The weapon has a range of 40 kilometers, can travel at a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour, and dive to a maximum depth of 400 meters. It can carry a warhead weighing 250 kg. It is capable of targeting submarines “both in deep and shallow waters in an intense countermeasures environment”.

The torpedo can be launched by ship and submarines. It is electrically propelled with advanced automatic and remote-controlled guidance systems including the GPS. The torpedo uses its intelligence in tracking the target. A transducer gives it the capability for a wide angle of manoeuvre making it capable of targeting submarines from both top and bottom.

The first production unit of Varunastra has taken nearly 1.5 years to deliver. On 11 June 2019, BDL signed the contract to supply 63 units of Varunastra HWT to the Indian Navy worth Rs 1,187.82 crores.

Currently, the Indian Navy already using Shyena, the first indigenously developed Advanced Light Torpedo (TAL).