 "Make in India in defence: Navy inducts 4 indigenous sonars")
The Indian Navy on Friday formally inducted four types of indigenously developed sonars that will boost its underwater surveillance capability.
The systems included Abhay, which is a compact hull mounted sonar for shallow water crafts; Humsa UG, which is an upgrade for the Humsa sonar system; NACS, or the Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System; and AIDSS, or the Advanced Indigenous Distress sonar system for submarines.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who on Friday handed over the sonars to the Navy, praised the force along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and said he expects more synergy in the coming days.
The systems have been designed and developed by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, a Kochi-based laboratory of DRDO.
With the induction of these four systems, the underwater surveillance capability of the Indian Navy will get a boost, besides providing a fillip to the quest for self-reliance in this critical area of technology.
Abhay is an advanced active-cum-passive integrated sonar system designed and developed for the smaller platforms such as shallow water crafts and coastal surveillance/patrol vessels.
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It is capable of detecting, localising, classifying and tracking sub-surface and surface targets in both its active and passive modes of operation.
The prototype of this compact sonar installed on board a nominated naval platform has successfully completed all user evaluation trials to demonstrate the features as per the Naval Staff Qualification Requirements.
Indian Navy has proposed to induct this sonar on three of its Abhay class ships.
Intensifying the command over the high seas is the Humsa-UG, which is designed for upgrading the existing Humsa sonar system.
This system is proposed to be installed on seven ships of three different classes.
AIDSS, a distress sonar, is an Emergency Sound Signalling Device which is used to indicate that a submarine is in distress and enable quick rescue and salvage.
It is a life-saving alarm system designed to transmit sonar signals of a pre-designated frequency and pulse shape in an emergency situation from a submarine for a long period, so as to attract the attention of passive sonars of ships or submarines in the vicinity and all types of standard rescue vessels in operation.
It is also provided with a transponder capability.