Correct Answer : DRDO
India’s "Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)" has launched a new testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems of the Indian Navy.
* Announced by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD), the new facility is now operational at DRDO’s Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) in Kochi, Kerala, India.
* This newly launched facility is named as Hull Module of Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation and Evaluation (SPACE).
* The design of this facility is based on the concept, design and requirements proposed by the NPOL.
* The SPACE facility will primarily test and assess sonar systems aboard different types of naval vessels, such as submarines, warships and maritime aircraft or helicopters.
* The centre will also allow rapid deployment and easy recovery of other scientific packages, including transducers and sensors.
* The new ‘one-of-a-kind’ facility is a submersible platform that can reach up to the depths of around 100m.
* In a statement, Indian MoD said : “The uniqueness of this facility lies in the specially designed submersible platform, which can be lowered up to depths of 100m using a series of synchronously operated winches.”
* The SPACE facility has been constructed by the Indian company "Larsen & Toubro (L&T)" Shipbuilding in Chennai.
* According to the MoD, the design and construction of the SPACE facility complies to all the statutory needs and requirements of the Indian Register of Shipping.
* Furthermore, the platform also adheres to the needs of the vessel classifying authority as well as the inspection and registration criteria set by the Kerala Inland Vessel Rules.
* This new facility has further boosted the Government of India’s ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.
* Earlier this year, the
MoD contracted
L&T to build
two multi-purpose vessels for the service..
Source : Naval Technology
