Varunastra is a ship-launched, heavyweight, electrically-propelled anti-submarine torpedo capable of targeting quiet submarines, both in deep and shallow waters in an intense countermeasures environment.

Varunastra has been designed with latest technologies such as high speed and long endurance propulsion, software driven intelligence, conformal array acoustic homing with wide look angle and advanced digital signal processing. It is also having advanced autonomous guidance algorithms with low drift navigational aids, insensitive warhead which can operate in various combat scenarios.

Varunastra exercise variant has integrated instrumentation system for recording all the dynamic parameters of the weapon, redundancy in recovery aids in case of emergency shut down or malfunction. It has GPS based locating aid, a unique feature in contemporary torpedoes in the world. Varunastra is extensively tested at sea in association with Indian Navy for evaluating the weapon capabilities as per Naval Staff qualitative requirements. The weapon has completed all environmental qualification tests like shock, vibration, temperature cycling, marine environmental tests, EMI/EMC tests etc.

This torpedo has been developed with high degree of modularity with more than 95 per cent indigenous content. All the test systems, accessories, special tools and handling equipment are developed simultaneously, enabling smooth maintenance, sourcing of spares, industry support and up-gradation. M/s Bharat Dynamics Ltd. has been associated with NSTL in the development of Varunastra as a production agency.

Salient Features

1. As per DRDO, Varunastra is a ship-launched, heavyweight, electrically-propelled anti-submarine torpedo capable of targeting quiet submarines, both in deep and shallow waters in an intense countermeasures environment

2. Varunastra can be fired from all ASW ships capable of firing heavyweight torpedoes.  It is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines, both in deep and littoral waters in intense countermeasure environment

3. It was inducted by Indian Navy in 2016 and is named after a legendary weapon created by the Hindu God of the Oceans- Lord Varuna

4. The Varunastra torpedo is set to be fitted aboard the Kolkata-class, Delhi-class and Rajput-class destroyers as well as Talwar-class frigates and Kamorta-class ASW corvettes

Specifications:

1. It weighs 1500 kg and is 7-8 metres long
2. The operational range of Varunastra is 40 km
3. The maximum depth 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)
4. Wire-guided, active-passive acoustic homing. Augmented by GPS/NavIC satellite guidance. Varunastra is the first torpedo in the world to use GPS-based targeting
5.. The maximum speed it can attain is 74km per hour
6. It is the only torpedo in the world to have a GPS-based locating aid
7. It can carry a high explosive warhead weighing 250 kg
8. It has been jointly developed by the Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NTSL), Visakhapatnam and the Bharat Dynamics Limited -BDL (Hyderabad)
9. Varunastra is powered by Silver Oxide Zinc (AgOZn) batteries
10. The torpedo can be launched both from Ship and Submarine

About BDL

1- Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is an enterprise of Government of India under the Ministry of Defence.

2- It was established in Hyderabad in the year 1970 as a manufacturing base for guided missiles and allied defence equipment.

3- It is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana and has three manufacturing units located at Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad, Telangana; Bhanur, Medak district, Telangana and Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Two New Units are planned at Ibrahimpatnam, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana and Amravati, Maharashtra.

4- It is associated with DRDO for various missile programmes and is the production agency for Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM), for which, trials were conducted successfully.

5- It is also the production agency for Astra Air- to- Air Missile System which is indigenously developed by the DRDO for the Indian Air Force (IAF).