SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has confirmed that India is on track to induct its first high-endurance Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) within the next one to two years.
Dubbed JALKAPI-XLUUV, the indigenous platform is the most complex unmanned underwater system being developed for the Indian Navy to date. With a displacement of 20 tonnes, the vessel boasts a remarkable endurance of 30 to 45 days, allowing for prolonged undersea missions without requiring surface support.
Designed for autonomous underwater operations, the XLUUV is equipped to operate at depths of up to 300 meters. It measures 11 meters in length, comparable in class to Boeing’s Orca XLUUV, and will serve as a formidable asset in underwater surveillance and special mission roles.
The mission profiles envisioned for the JALKAPI-XLUUV include:
- Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR)
- Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
- Subsea Surveying
- Mine Countermeasures
- Emergency response and critical contingency operations
The platform is part of the iDEX Aatmanirbhar Defence Innovation initiative and is being developed under a competitive process managed by the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework, showcasing India’s commitment to developing world-class indigenous defence technologies.
The XLUUV will feature autonomous mission execution, battery monitoring and management, intelligent transition between surface and dive modes, emergency response capabilities, and harbour exit/re-entry on its own — all aligned with the Indian Navy’s long-term requirements for next-generation undersea platforms.
The vessel is being built around modular payload bays to support multiple mission systems, including advanced sonar arrays, electronic surveillance packages, and sensor suites, enabling future scalability.
This strategic underwater capability is being developed with design inputs from the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design – Submarine Design Group (DND-SDG) and will significantly enhance India’s ability to maintain maritime domain awareness and tactical advantage in contested undersea environments.
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