India tests SMART torpedo system to strengthen maritime capabilities amid standoff with China

New Delhi: India successfully flight-tested its indigenously developed Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system from Odisha's Balasore coast on Monday (October 5). The SMART was tested at 1145 hours from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast. It met all the objectives "flawlessly".

The DRDO reportedly said that it will be a "game-changer" in anti-submarine warfare, marking yet another milestone in strengthening the country's maritime strategic capabilities.

According to a defence statement, SMART is a missile assisted release of lightweight anti-submarine torpedo system for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations far beyond the torpedo range. This launch and demonstration are significant in establishing anti-submarine warfare capabilities, it said.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists on the successful conduct of the test which marks a major breakthrough for stand-off capability in anti-submarine warfare.

In a tweet, Defence Minister said, "The @DRDO_India has successfully flight tested the Supersonic Missile assisted release of Torpedo, SMART. This will be a major technology breakthrough for stand-off capability in anti-submarine warfare. I congratulate DRDO and other stakeholders for this significant achievement." 

The @DRDO_India has successfully flight tested the Supersonic Missile assisted release of Torpedo, SMART. This will be a major technology breakthrough for stand-off capability in anti-submarine warfare. I congratulate DRDO and other stakeholders for this significant achievement. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 5, 2020

The flight testing of SMART follows the successful test-firing on Saturday of its indigenously developed nuclear-capable hypersonic missile 'Shaurya' with a strike range of around 1,000 km from the test range.

"All the mission objectives (of SMART) including missile flight upto the range and altitude, separation of the nose cone, release of torpedo and deployment of velocity reduction mechanism (VRM) have been met perfectly," the statement said.

The test encompasses hybrid technology which helps to upgrade the present system and also increase the striking range, the defence statement said.

Tracking stations, including radars and electro optical systems along the coast and telemetry stations, also involving down range ships, monitored all the events. A number of DRDO laboratories including DRDL, RCI Hyderabad, ADRDE Agra and NSTL Visakhapatnam have developed the technologies required for SMART, sources told PTI.

Secretary to the department of defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy told PTI that SMART is a "game-changer" technology demonstration in anti-submarine warfare.

When launched from a warship or a truck-based coastal battery, SMART reportedly takes off like a regular supersonic missile, covering most of its flight in the air at lower altitudes with two-way data link from the warship or an airborne submarine target detection system.

Notably, it provides the exact location of the hostile submarine to correct its flight path midway.

When it approaches close enough to the submerged submarine, the missile will eject the torpedo system into the water and the autonomous torpedo will start moving towards its target to take out the submarine, the statement added.

(With Agency Inputs)