DRDO AI-powered MP-AUVs: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has brought out a new set of man-portable autonomous underwater vehicles, also called MP-AUVs. These new machines come from DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam. The team made these robots to help India deal with strong sea security problems at a time when naval threats in the region are growing fast.
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The MP-AUVs carry side-scan sonar and underwater cameras as their main tools. These tools help the robots find and check objects under the water in real time with very good accuracy. The robots use AI and deep learning to look at shapes and decide if they look like mines.
A new generation of Man-portable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (MP-AUVs) have been indigenously designed and developed by the NSTL in collaboration with other labs NPOL, RCI, HEMRL, and DYSL-AT for mine countermeasure missions. The system comprises multiple AUVs equipped with… pic.twitter.com/fyKovZjf60
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) November 15, 2025
This smart system cuts down the work for Navy operators and helps missions move faster. The robots talk to each other through a steady underwater acoustic communication link, which helps them share data and understand the surroundings better when they work together.
Older minesweepers have been removed in steps so the Navy needs new ways to stay safe. Submarines from China and Pakistan have shown more activity in the Indian Ocean Region, so India has to keep sea routes safe from mine threats. The Defence Acquisition Council has approved 12 new mine countermeasure vessels worth around Rs 44,000 crore. These new ships will work along with the MP-AUVs and make naval defence even stronger.
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India’s Sea Security
Dr Samir V. Kamat, who is the Secretary of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, called this progress a “major milestone” that moves India toward an intelligent and connected mine countermeasure system. He said this system will give fast response with lower risk and a smaller operation load. The MP-AUVs finished field trials that proved their important system features. The machines will go into production in the coming months, and many industry partners will help build them.
