DRDO develops man-portable autonomous underwater vehicles for mine countermeasures
DRDO's Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam has developed a new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) for mine countermeasure missions, the Defence Ministry said on 14 November 2025.
Summary
The MP-AUV system comprises multiple vehicles carrying side-scan sonar and underwater cameras to detect and classify mine-like objects in real time, using onboard deep-learning target recognition to cut operator workload and mission time. The AUVs share data through underwater acoustic communication. Field trials at NSTL harbour validated key parameters, and with several industry partners involved, the system is expected to be ready for production in the next couple of months. DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V. Kamat called it a major milestone.
Key facts
- System
- Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs)
- Developer
- NSTL, Visakhapatnam (DRDO)
- Role
- Mine countermeasures
- Payloads
- Side-scan sonar, underwater cameras
- Tech
- Deep-learning target recognition; acoustic inter-AUV communication
- Status
- Production-ready in a couple of months
Practice MCQs 2 questions
Which DRDO laboratory developed the new Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) announced in November 2025?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — NSTL, Visakhapatnam
The MP-AUVs were developed by the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.
DRDO's new MP-AUVs are designed primarily for:
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Mine countermeasure missions
The MP-AUVs are meant for mine countermeasure missions — detecting and classifying mine-like objects.