Mine detector AUV launched
AUV named 'Neerakshi' is a collaboration of Kolkata-based warshipmaker Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd and MSME entity AEPL, officials said. The commercial launch of the AUV is likely to be within six months to a year after completion of user trials by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and possibly the Army too, he said GRSE chairman and managing director Commodore (Retd) P R Hari said at the launch of the AUV.
«This can be used for a variety of functions ranging from mine detection to mine disposal to underwater survey,» he said. The GRSE CMD said that the initial response has been overwhelming and expressed confidence that this venture will result in multiple projects which will augur well not only for the shipbuilder but also for the country.
«Neerakshi is petite and demure, but don't be mistaken. She is potent and versatile with multirole capabilities,» he said.
Launching the 2.1-metre long cylindrical unmanned vehicle about a foot in diameter and weighing around 45 kg, secretary of defence R and D department and DRDO chairman, Samir V Kamat expressed confidence that in the coming years the country's defence industry will not only meet the aspirations of the nation, but also become a developer of cutting edge systems, innovative solutions and generate a lot of exports. «It feels very heartening to see a collaboration between a large shipyard and an MSME which has resulted in this innovative product being indigenously designed and developed in the country,» Kamat said, launching the orange-coloured prototype of the AUV.
Kamat said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a goal for not only being self-reliant, but also a leading exporter of defence systems and technologies. «This can happen only if we have
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