SOURCE: AFI
In a landmark development for Indo-Australian defence cooperation, India and Australia have initiated a three-year joint research project to enhance undersea surveillance capabilities, focusing on the early detection and tracking of submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
Announced on July 3, 2025, the collaboration brings together Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) Information Sciences Division and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) in Kochi. The project, centered on advanced Towed Array Target Motion Analysis (TMA) technology, aligns with the Quad’s strategic objectives to strengthen maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in response to growing submarine activity and regional geopolitical tensions.
The joint initiative, formalized during Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles’ visit to India, aims to develop cutting-edge methodologies for detecting and tracking underwater threats. The project leverages Towed Array TMA, a sophisticated technique that uses a long linear array of hydrophones towed behind a ship or submarine to capture acoustic signals. These signals are processed through advanced algorithms to estimate the position, course, and speed of underwater targets, such as submarines and AUVs, with high precision, even in noisy environments. “Target Motion Analysis is a crucial element in maintaining platform situational awareness when a passive mode of operation is required,” said Amanda Bessell, Discipline Leader at DSTG’s Information Sciences Division.
DSTG Senior Researcher Sanjeev Arulampalam elaborated, “The hydrophones work together to listen to the undersea environment from various directions. The sound signal is passed through a signal processor, which analyses, filters, and detects underwater acoustic signals emitted from maritime targets.” The project will focus on developing novel algorithms to manage noise corruption and enhance tracking accuracy, ensuring reliable performance in complex underwater environments like the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
The collaboration is a significant milestone in the Quad framework, comprising India, Australia, the United States, and Japan, which seeks to counter China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Posts on X highlight the project’s focus on early detection of Chinese nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs), reflecting the Quad’s emphasis on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. The initiative builds on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia, marked by frameworks such as the Annual Leaders’ Summit, 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue, and Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue, as noted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
India’s expertise in sonar technology, driven by NPOL’s development of indigenous systems like Abhay, HUMSA-UG, and NACS, complements Australia’s advanced sonar industry, including systems like Kariwara, developed since the 1970s. The project will involve sharing technical insights, conducting joint trials, demonstrating algorithms, and performing performance analyses, harnessing the strengths of both nations to address modern maritime challenges. Suneel Randhawa, Chief of DSTG’s Information Sciences Division, emphasized, “We need to harness the best minds in innovation, science, and technology to build new capabilities, to innovate at greater pace, and to strengthen our strategic partnerships.”
The project’s focus on Towed Array TMA is particularly relevant given the increasing sophistication of submarines and AUVs in the Indo-Pacific, where warm, shallow waters like the Arabian Sea pose challenges for conventional hull-mounted sonars due to temperature gradients. India’s recent success in trialing a moored autonomous underwater sonar system in the Bay of Bengal from May 17–19, 2025, underscores NPOL’s growing expertise in underwater acoustics, which will enhance the joint project’s outcomes. The collaboration may also integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for advanced signal processing, aligning with global trends in sonar technology development.
The research is expected to influence future undersea surveillance systems, strengthening the strategic deterrence capabilities of both nations. With the underwater battlespace evolving due to the proliferation of autonomous systems, this initiative addresses a critical need for enhanced maritime domain awareness, particularly in strategic choke points like the Strait of Malacca and the Persian Gulf.
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