'SMART' anti-submarine missile system successfully flight-tested by DRDO off the Odisha coast

Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system was successfully flight-tested at around 0830 hrs on May 01, 2024 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. SMART is a next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy far beyond the conventional range of lightweight torpedo.

This canister-based missile system consists of several advanced sub-systems, namely two-stage solid propulsion system, electromechanical actuator system, precision inertial navigation system etc. The system carries advanced light-weight torpedo as payload along with parachute-based release system.

The missile was launched from the ground mobile launcher. Several state-of-the-art mechanisms such as symmetric separation, ejection and velocity control have been validated in this test.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has complimented the DRDO and the industry partners on the successful flight-test of SMART. “The development of the system will further enhance the strength of our Navy,” he said.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat lauded the synergistic efforts of the entire SMART team and urged it to continue on the path of excellence.

 

[Anant]

High time we eliminate the venerable RBU-6000 system, and replace it with, say 16 VLS cells for the SMART system using the Shyena torpedo plus 16 VLSAMs.

Our ships have a lot of deck space, and with some internal rearrangement, we can easily up-arm our destroyers to 24-32 AShMs (24 in VLS plus 8 in launch canisters) + 48-56 VLSAMs + 16 VLS for the SMART system, up from the present 16 AShMs + 32 VLSAMs + 2 RBU-6000 sets.

Similarly, the large frigates can get their Shtil missile and RBU-6000s replaced to have 16-20 AShMs (16 in VLS plus 4 in launch canisters) + 48-56 VLSAMs + 16 VLS for the SMART system, up from the present 8 AShMs + 32 VLSAMs + 2 RBU-6000 sets.

The mid-sized frigates could go up to 12-16 AShMs (8 in VLS plus 4-8 in launch canisters) + 32-40 VLSAMs + 8 VLS for the SMART system, if you replace the RBU-6000 and Shtil systems.

 

[NSR]

It would be a game changer if only it can evade an enemy warship air defense systems and land close enough to attack the warship.
It is much easier to attack a torpedo falling from the SMART with a parachute.
Remember that Torpedoes can't travel too far in the water so it must be dispensed close by.

The enemy submarines will have no such defenses so they have to just evade as best or say their last prayers.

Way to go!!!

 

[Tomar]

remember seeing a 1965 film, The Bedford Incident, in which use of this concept then known in US Navy as ASROC is depicted !

 

[Bhishma]

So we can have a swarm of drones dropping off sensors in the ocean and collecting intel. Kind of like P8 but much cheaper. Once we detect the sub, we can have these missiles launched from land/sea and take down the sub. Brilliant strategy. China's main game in the IOR is to overwhelm the Indian navy through their numerical superiority in subs. Their surface fleet will be very vulnerable in the Malacca straits and to Brahmos. So their first wave strategy is to use the subs to take down a significant chunk of Indian assets. These missiles will deliver a serious blow to their sub-first strategy.

 

[kumar]

The standoff range and lower kill time will be game changer in ASW operations.

 

[Sridhar]

It would be a game changer if only it can evade an enemy warship air defense systems and land close enough to attack the warship.
It is much easier to attack a torpedo falling from the SMART with a parachute.
Remember that Torpedoes can't travel too far in the water so it must be dispensed close by.

The enemy submarines will have no such defenses so they have to just evade as best or say their last prayers.

Way to go!!!

The most critical aspect is the reach. It can strike its target from a long distance and it's quite difficult to intercept it.

 

[NSR]

The most critical aspect is the reach. It can strike its target from a long distance and it's quite difficult to intercept it.

The Torpedo gets deployed with a parachute as I read so it is very easy for warships air and missile defenses to intercept.
But submarines have no such defenses to save themselves.

Edited to make it more clear.

 

[Tomar]

The standoff range and lower kill time will be game changer in ASW operations.

game changer for us, yes ! it is in in use with USN since the ’60s known as ASROC, it seems !

 

[Anant]

game changer for us, yes ! it is in in use with USN since the ’60s known as ASROC, it seems !

No, this is different than the RUR-5 ASROC. The ASROC system fired ASW rockets to a short range (under 10 km). A counterpart to these would be the RBU-1000 and RBU-6000 ASROC systems (though these have an even shorter range).

A true counterpart to the SMART system is the American RUM-139 VL-ASROC system, which dates back to the 1990s, and has a maximum range of around 33 km (22 for the missile plus 11 for the torpedo). The SMART system will quite probably have a longer range. Other counterparts are the South Korean K745 (2010s), and the Japanese Type 07 (2000s).

 

[kumar]

game changer for us, yes ! it is in in use with USN since the ’60s known as ASROC, it seems !

Am aware of ASROC. What is the range of ASROC. Even chinese have ASROC equivalent. But what is range of ASROC and is it comparable to our SMART, that is the question. With range of 20km+, it is no match to SMART system.