Underwater vehicle platform soon at NSTL

Visakhapatnam, Jun 1 (UNI) Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chief Executive K N Rai today said a Rs 35 crore amphibious underwater vehicle platform will soon come up at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) here.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Centre, Mr Rai said the AUV's capabilities in underwater exploration and salvage would help defence and civil sectors.

The AUV would also help the DRDO achieve its goals in maritime reconaissance, surveillance, undersea search and survey,communication and navigation aids, submarine tracking and combat engagements.

NSTL Director V Bhujanga Rao said the state-of-the-art AUV was one of the two main categories of unmanned underwater vehicles.

The other was remote operated unmanned aerial and surface vehicles used for a variety of missions over hazardous and difficult terrain.

UNI BSR AJ VD KP1904