Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), a premier Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, has achieved a significant milestone in indigenous defence manufacturing with the delivery of production-grade Wire Guided Heavy Weight Torpedo (WGHWT).
The torpedo was delivered to the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) at its Visakhapatnam Unit.
The advanced technology suite features state-of-the-art homing and propulsion systems, complemented by sophisticated search, attack, and re-attack abilities, towards significantly enhancing the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities.
This achievement underscores the success of collaborative efforts between DRDO (NSTL) and BDL in building a robust indigenous defence ecosystem involving several industrial partners, including MSMEs.
Acting as the Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP), BDL collaborated with NSTL to realise India's first indigenously produced, production-grade heavyweight torpedo. Delivered in both practice and combat configurations, the torpedo marks a step forward in India's pursuit of self-reliance in advanced naval weapon systems under the Government of India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The event was attended by Dr RV Hara Prasad, Director General (NS&M); Commodore A. Madhava Rao (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, BDL; Dr Abraham Varughese, Director, NSTL; and teams from BDL, NSTL, and the Indian Navy.
"This achievement underscores the success of collaborative efforts between DRDO (NSTL) and BDL in building a robust indigenous defence ecosystem involving several industrial partners, including MSMEs. The production of such a complex underwater weapon system highlights India's growing expertise in cutting-edge naval technologies," said Madhava Rao.
The torpedo is based on ‘Varunastra’, an indigenously developed heavyweight underwater weapon designed by the Visakhapatnam-based NSTL. Weighing approximately 1.25 tonnes and capable of carrying a 250 kg warhead, Varunastra successfully completed user evaluation trials and met the Indian Navy's Qualifying Requirements before being inducted into service around 2015.
The weapon travels at speeds of up to 38 knots and employs a unique circular trajectory, using onboard intelligence to autonomously trace and engage targets. It is equipped with an advanced automatic and remote-controlled guidance system and driven by a high-speed electric propulsion unit making it one of the most capable indigenously developed naval weapons in India's arsenal.
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