BDL Sets Sights on Global Market as Varunastra Torpedo Deliveries to Indian Navy Conclude

Following the successful completion of all Varunastra torpedo orders for the Indian Navy, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is actively exploring export opportunities for this indigenously developed anti-submarine weapon. In a recent interview with Bharat Shakti, Chairman of BDL A. Madhavarao confirmed that.

The Varunastra, a 533mm heavyweight torpedo, is a product of collaboration between BDL and the DRDO's Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL). With its advanced features, including an active-passive acoustic homing system, a powerful 250 kg high-explosive warhead, and selectable speed modes, the Varunastra has proven its effectiveness in anti-submarine warfare.

Having fulfilled the Indian Navy's requirements for 136 Varunastra torpedoes, BDL is now confident in the torpedo's export potential. The company believes that the Varunastra's combination of cutting-edge technology, competitive pricing, and proven performance will make it an attractive option for navies worldwide seeking to enhance their anti-submarine capabilities.

The decision to pursue exports also reflects the Indian government's broader push to promote indigenous defense products in the global market. With the Varunastra, BDL aims to showcase India's growing expertise in developing and manufacturing advanced defense technologies.

 

[Pink Panther]

73+63 = 136.
Too few to arm all warships and patrol boats.
Order in hundreds to safeguard Indian warships and stop the export business talks until the right numbers reached.

Also India badly needs torpedoes for Scorpene submarines.
They are originally hard-wired for Italian Blackshark torpedoes so PM should do something during his upcoming visit to Italy during G7 meeting there.

Yes they currently can’t be used in wars, they are only used by the Navy for admiration and self motivation that they have foreign submarines.

 

[INDIAN]

Many global heavy torpedo's having 40+km range, BDL should develop new advance versions of Varunastra with higher range and speed.

 

[Ajath Shri]

Major problem here: The numbers don't add up in a sensible manner.

The Varunastra is used by the Visakhapatnam-, Kolkata-, Delhi-, and Rajput-class destroyers, the Nilgiri-, and Talwar-class frigates, and the Kamorta-class corvettes. That comes to a grand total of 156 torpedo tubes. Even if we do not count the Rajputs, that comes to 141 torpedo tubes for the Varunastra.

The two orders mentioned here add up to 136 torpedoes. Does this mean we do not even have enough torpedoes to fill all our torpedo tubes? What about reserves? If this hasn't been factored in (by some miracle), that needs to be done asap, and sufficient reserves need to be built up.

You can't wait for torpedo deliveries in times of war. Just look at the US wait for the Mk 14 torpedo in WW2.

I personally feel VARUN ASTRA should have been modified to fire away from Indian SUBS. And the range to be in excess of 40 Plus.
Also the current orders from Indian Navy is absymal. A minimum order value of 300 units would have been good .

 

[Ajath Shri]

Have you counted the possibility that there will be a lot of older torpedoes, plus many other type of torpedoes as well? Varunastra for now probably makes up a small fraction of the total stock. That might be one reason.

Ideally the older ones can be scrapped or possibly used for training purpose.

 

[Ajath Shri]

The PM didn't make a deal for the torpedo. India only agreed to establish military cooperation and production of any future purchases back again. But India made it clear that the corruption case for the black shark torpedo will continue and the investigation and penalties will still take place. Also India needed to return the 3 Augusta Westland VVIP helicopters which was another corruption case so we receive our money and the criminal investigation continues.

The ban on the manufacturer of BLACK SHARK Torpedos was removed . Also ban on DENEL Gun manufacturer is also removed. They can participate in any tender. But as you rightly said India is yet to place any order with these companies.

 

[Anant]

I personally feel VARUN ASTRA should have been modified to fire away from Indian SUBS. And the range to be in excess of 40 Plus.
Also the current orders from Indian Navy is absymal. A minimum order value of 300 units would have been good .

True, but we just got an article about a further HWT that has completed development and is about to start trials, called the Takshak. That would also justify the limited order size for the Varunastra.

 

[Anant]

Scorpenes can’t, these are the only somewhat new Submarines we have, they are currently toothless.

If push comes to shove, we still have the SUT torpedoes. Oh, and considering the article that just came out on the Takshak HWT (a further development of the Varunastra now awaiting trials), that could well be capable of being fired from the Scorpenes.

 

[Akshat]

Ideally the older ones can be scrapped or possibly used for training purpose.

That would cost money. We don’t have enough of it.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

Agreed. I haven't even added any submarines into that count, even though some of our submarines can, atleast in theory, fire the Varunastra.

I doubt Anant. The Varunastra was specifically designed to be ship launched. I doubt if the dimensions fit the torpedo tubes for the subs. To make it more complicated, we have three types of subs, Russian, German and French. The torpedo dimensions for each one of them are different. To make it worse, when we designed it, we probably did not even do the designing to fit even any one particular type of sub (I am not sure on this though)

 

[RalphRearden]

I will write a public apology the day they "export" even a single unit!

If anyone actually cares about the details.....its a good weapon in itself, but lags behind the ones offered by the west and Russia by at least a decade...both in tech and in specifications....So they may end up selling to an African/LAtin American nation on the line of credit extended by GOI....but likelihood of that happening is remote

 

[NSR]

Very true, Sir. Very true.
However, the ASW-SWC and the NGOPVs will not carry these heavyweight torpedoes. The ASW-SWC will carry lightweight TAL Shyena torpedoes, while the NGOPVs will not carry ASW torpedoes at all.

That said, we do have the NGMV and NGC corvettes, Project 17B frigates, MRSV, and other projects in the pipeline, besides all our current and planned submarines (which I haven't even factored into the calculations yet since it isn't entirely clear which of our submarines can fit the Varunastra).

Unless there is some new variant in the works which is expected to be procured in significantly larger numbers, we probably need to scale up our inventory by 6-10 times.

I remember reading a story about India sending some kind of submarine torpedoes for testing in France Naval Systems torpedo testing facility.
Perhaps they developed a modified version of Varunastra for Scorpene submarines.

I personally prefer that PM ask Italian PM to bury all the past armemtns scandals on a win-win and no one loses deal to cover all those scandals.
And then PM should resurrect the old Blackshark torpedo contract with the more latest Advanced Blackshark torpedo, and then make a joint research and development of $25 millions each to develop even more advanced next generation torpedoes on 50:50 IP and TOT sharings like Brahmos missile.
Both countries and navies will benefit this way.

Also, India can build very sophisticated next generation Naval radars for Indian warships after buying some and investing to develop together like Blackshark.

Italian FREMM Frigates are world class so they can provide some knowhow for our Indian next generation P-18 Destroyer and Frages warships.

Win-win will make Italian PM to move forward quickly as their economy is in dire situation.

My two paisa worth.

 

[Sandeep]

The ban on the manufacturer of BLACK SHARK Torpedos was removed . Also ban on DENEL Gun manufacturer is also removed. They can participate in any tender. But as you rightly said India is yet to place any order with these companies.

The ban was removed and they can now apply for tenders. But the main important point is that the company doesn’t get a free pass on their previous corruption deal and the criminal investigation isn’t stopped or delayed.