DRDO Awards Contract for India's First Underwater UAV to Pune's Sagar Defence

To enhance India's underwater military capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to develop groundbreaking underwater-launched unmanned aerial vehicles (ULUAVs) with the assistance of a Pune-based defence startup. These ULUAVs, designed to be launched from submarines, will be created in collaboration with Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd. This startup was awarded the technology development contract by DRDO's Technology Development Fund (TDF) after being selected from 17 competing firms through a competitive bidding process.

The Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) of the DRDO will support Sagar Defence in developing ULUAV technology. Sagar Defence, which previously created a maritime spotter drone for the Indian Navy, signed the agreement in the presence of DRDL Director Dr. G A S Murthy and Indian Navy officials.

A ULUAV will be designed for rapid, safe, and autonomous deployment from a moving submarine. With high endurance and long-range capabilities, it offers a significant surprise advantage. Additionally, it will facilitate discreet surveillance missions, enabling submarines to monitor potential threats without exposing their location.

Mridul Babbar, Director & Vice-President of Business Development, Sagar Defence, Said, "This ULUAV technology is going to be highly advanced. Only a few countries in the world possess ULUAVs but they are not highly advanced. Like the US ULUAV has a range of 7 km and its endurance is for 30 minutes. However, DRDO has entrusted us to develop a ULUAV that will have a longer endurance of more than one hour and will have a range of over 20 km. And we are the first to develop this technology in India. This ULUAV will be for maritime and underwater domain awareness and will be used for data gathering". This will be expandable, and in the future, weapons can also be installed on it, he added.

The project highlights the Modi government's proactive commitment to promoting indigenous innovation and technological advancement. Sagar CEO Captain Nikunj Parashar said, "This contract not only underscores the trust and confidence that DRDO has in our capabilities but also serves as a testament to the strides we are making in defence innovation".

By leveraging the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles in underwater environments, the defense industry can achieve a significant advantage in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. This advancement will enhance situational awareness and operational effectiveness across the maritime domain.