India puts SMART to the test
‘Game-changer’ weapon paves the way for India to extend the range of its ASW torpedoes
The Indian government on 5 October announced a successful flight test (pictured) of the Supersonic Missile Assisted release of Torpedo (SMART) weapon, which is designed to enable ASW operations far beyond the range of conventional torpedoes..
Technologies for the system were developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facilities.
‘All the mission objectives including missile flight up to the range and altitude, separation of the nose cone, release of torpedo and deployment of [the] velocity reduction mechanism (VRM) have been met perfectly,’ according to a statement from the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
The test — described by DRDO chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy as a ‘game-changer technology demonstration’ for ASW — took place at 1145h local time on Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal.
A radar/EO tracking station along the coast and telemetry stations (including downrange ships) monitored all the events.
Few details are available about SMART, but in its annual report for 2018-2019 the Indian MoD stated that ‘DRDO has taken up a project to develop and demonstrate a missile-assisted release of [a] lightweight anti-submarine torpedo system for ASW operations far beyond torpedo range (50-650 km)’.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Indian Navy arsenal includes the MK 54 MAKO and indigenously produced Shyena lightweight ASW torpedoes.
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