SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant advancement for India’s defence technology landscape, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Apollo Micro Systems (AMS) have announced a collaborative effort to develop a Mini-Torpedo designed to neutralize small combat boats. This innovative weapon, intended for deployment from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones, marks a strategic leap in enhancing maritime security against asymmetric threats.
While specific details about the Mini-Torpedo’s range and technical specifications remain undisclosed by the two companies, sources speaking to idrw.org reveal that it will boast a range of approximately 5–7 kilometres, a 1–2 kg warhead, and compatibility with Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) and Short-Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SRUAVs).
The Mini-Torpedo emerges from a partnership formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between GRSE and AMS on January 29, 2025, in Kolkata. This collaboration builds on GRSE’s expertise in naval shipbuilding and AMS’s proficiency in designing advanced electronic and weapon systems for aerospace and defence applications. The weapon is envisioned as a lightweight, precision-guided munition capable of being dropped from UAVs and drones, targeting small combat boats—vessels often used in asymmetric warfare, piracy, and coastal incursions.
Small boats, ranging from fast attack craft to inflatable rafts, pose a persistent challenge for naval forces worldwide. Their agility, low profile, and ability to operate in swarms make them difficult to detect and counter with traditional ship-launched torpedoes or large-calibre weapons. The Mini-Torpedo addresses this gap by offering a compact, UAV-deployable solution that can either destroy or render such boats unserviceable, thereby enhancing the Indian Navy’s and Coast Guard’s operational flexibility in littoral waters.
While GRSE and AMS have kept the Mini-Torpedo’s full specifications under wraps, idrw.org sources provide a tantalizing glimpse into its capabilities. With a range of 5–7 kilometres, the weapon is optimized for short-to-medium-range engagements, aligning with the operational radii of MALE UAVs like the Indian-made Tapas or SRUAVs such as the Drishti-10. Its 1–2 kg warhead, though modest compared to conventional torpedoes like the Varunastra (250 kg warhead), is tailored for precision strikes against lightly Armoured or unarmored small boats, delivering sufficient explosive power to disable engines, hulls, or critical systems.
NOTE: Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.