Indian Navy inducts four underwater SONAR systems developed by DRDO

The Indian Navy on 18 November 2016 inducted four types of indigenously developed SONAR systems. The sonar systems are capable of boosting the Navy’s underwater surveillance capabilities.

The four sensors were handed over to the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The systems have been designed and developed by Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), a Kochi based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The four sonar systems are:

• ABHAY: It is an advanced Active-cum-Passive integrated SONAR system. It is designed and developed for the smaller platforms such as shallow water crafts and coastal surveillance/patrol vessels. It is capable of detecting, localizing, classifying and tracking sub-surface and surface targets in both its active and passive modes of operation.

• HUMSA-UG: It is designed for upgrading the existing HUMSA SONAR system of the Indian Naval platforms. This system is proposed to be installed on seven ships of three different classes of ships.

• NACS: It determines the in-situ performance of the SONAR systems, which are used to find the frequency-dependent 3-D transmission and reception characteristics of the SONAR. It is also used to measure the magnitude and phase characteristics of the SONAR transmission and reception electronics and the transducers.

• AIDSS: The system stands for Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System. It is a distress SONAR. It is an Emergency Sound Signalling Device, which is used to indicate that a submarine is in distress and enable quick rescue and salvage.