Defence Minister dedicates Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin to nation at NSTL

VISAKHAPATNAM: Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today dedicated a Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin (SMB) to the nation and handed over the Advanced Torpedo Defence System 'Maareech' to the Indian Navy at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) here.

Expressing pleasure at the close coordination between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy, Parrikar said strong liaison between DRDO and the three armed forces would enhance indigenousness in defence systems.

Hailing the NSTL for building the SMB, the Minister said it could be used by civilian shipbuilders and was also commercially viable.

'Maareech', developed by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, and NSTL, Vizag in coordination with the Indian Navy, is the best success story of the ' Make in India' programme, he said.

Parrikar handed over an expandable decoy to the Chief of Naval Staff R K Dhowan on the occasion.

Forty systems have already been procured and are being deployed in the Indian Navy ships.

Varunastra, a heavy torpedo, designed and developed by the NSTL, has gone through user evaluation trials and a clearance is awaited for its production, he added.

The Minister also presented DRDO Technology Awards for the year 2013 to 15 scientists.