The Indian Navy's Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system represents a significant advancement in anti-submarine warfare, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to extend the reach of lightweight torpedoes far beyond their conventional limits.

This cannisterised system integrates a supersonic missile booster with an advanced lightweight torpedo payload, enabling engagements up to approximately 650 km from the coastline, as coastal batteries or surface ships prepare for final configuration trials.

Funded initially from DRDO's own resources since 2018, SMART addresses critical gaps in long-range submarine hunting, particularly in contested maritime domains like the Indian Ocean Region.​

Launched from truck-based coastal batteries or naval surface platforms, the missile employs supersonic flight dynamics to cover vast distances rapidly, utilising a two-way data link for real-time updates from external sensors such as radars, sonars, or aircraft.

Upon approaching the target zone, the system deploys the torpedo via a precision parachute mechanism, allowing it to enter the water gently and activate its autonomous acoustic homing guidance to prosecute submerged threats. This sequence ensures high accuracy against warships and submarines, with the torpedo's high-explosive warhead delivering lethal effect post-missile separation.​​

Key trials underscore SMART's maturation, including a successful flight test on 1 May 2024 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha, validating booster performance, data link integrity, and parachute release under simulated conditions.

Earlier developmental firings, such as in 2020, demonstrated the core concept over 643 km ranges, building confidence in the system's reliability. Recent reports indicate progression towards final operational configuration trials, with the Navy poised for procurement to bolster coastal defences against adversarial naval incursions.​

Strategically, SMART enhances India's layered maritime denial capabilities, offering rapid response times that outpace helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft deployments in certain scenarios, while enabling shore-based forces to neutralise threats without exposing assets.

Its versatility supports integration into multi-domain operations, synergising with indigenous systems like the Advanced Light Torpedo (ALWT) and potentially future variants for hypersonic augmentation. For the Navy, this translates to fortified Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep outposts, deterring submarine-centric strategies from regional powers.​​

Production pathways involve DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI) for avionics and guidance, alongside partners like Bharat Dynamics Limited for missile integration, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives in defence manufacturing.

Expected induction timelines hinge on trial outcomes, with initial batches likely numbering in dozens for coastal batteries, scalable to shipboard vertical launch systems.

Challenges remain in electronic warfare resilience and all-weather torpedo recovery, yet SMART positions India among elite nations with missile-assisted torpedo delivery, rivalling systems like the US Rocket Fired Torpedo.​

IDN (With Agency Inputs)