DRDO Develops Man-Portable MCM AUVs

Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) intended for Mine Countermeasure Missions | Photo: Ministry of Defence

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a new generation of Man-Portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) intended for Mine Countermeasure Missions. The system has been created by the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam.

According to DRDO, the MP-AUVs operate as a multi-vehicle system equipped with Side Scan Sonar and underwater cameras to enable real-time detection and classification of mine-like objects. The vehicles use onboard deep learning–based target recognition algorithms designed to autonomously classify targets, reducing operator involvement and mission duration.

The organisation stated that an underwater acoustic communication system has been integrated to allow data exchange between the AUVs during operations, improving situational awareness. Recent field trials conducted at NSTL and harbour facilities validated system parameters and mission objectives.

DRDO noted that several industry partners are involved in the realisation of the system and production is expected to begin in the coming months.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, said the achievement represented “a major milestone towards deployable, intelligent, and networked mine countermeasure solution. It offers rapid response capability with reduced operational risk and logistic footprint for naval mine warfare applications.”