The Defence Research and Development (DRDO) Chairman G Satheesh Reddy has flagged off the first Production unit of Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT), Varunastra. The Varunastra has been designed and developed by Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of DRDO while Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Vishakhapatnam has manufactured the torpedo for the Indian Navy.
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About the Varunastra:
- Varunastra is a ship-launched, heavyweight, electrically propelled anti-submarine torpedo. It can be launched from ships that can fire heavyweight torpedoes to engage quiet submarines in deep and shallow waters.
- It is powered by an electric propulsion system with multiple 250 Kilowatts Silver Oxide Zinc (AgOZn) batteries.
- It is capable of achieving a speed of 40 Knots (74 Kms/hr), weighs around 1.25 tons and can carry up to 250 kg of the conventional warhead. It is made of 95% Indigenous contents.
- The heavyweight torpedo is also being offered for exports.