DRDO Launches Testing And Evaluation Facility For Sonar System

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched a testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems which will be used by the Indian Navy, giving impetus to the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and the 'Make in India' initiative, according to an official statement on Monday.

According to the Defence Ministry, it is a cutting-edge system designed for use by the Navy onboard various platforms such as ships, submarines and helicopters.

“To give impetus to the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' commitments, the DRDO recently launched the Hull Module of Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation & Evaluation (SPACE) facility at Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi,” the ministry said in a statement. 

The SPACE facility was built by L&T Shipbuilding in Chennai based on the concept design and requirements projected by NPOL.

According to the company, this will primarily be used for evaluating sonar systems, allowing for quick deployment and easy recovery of scientific packages such as sensors and transducers.

The SPACE is the world's only facility of its kind. The facility's uniqueness lies in the specially designed submersible platform, which can be lowered to depths of 100 metres using a series of synchronously operated winches, according to the statement.

The company said, the platform's design and construction meet all of the statutory requirements of the Indian Register of Shipping and the vessel classifying authority and it strictly adheres to the inspection and registration criteria outlined in the Kerala Inland Vessel Rules.