Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART): India’s New Anti-Ship/Submarine Rocket Torpedo Naval Warfare Weapon Can Destroy Ships and Submarines at Long Range

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By David Crane
david (at) defensereview (dot) com

Image(s) Credit(s): Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW.org)

December 28, 2021

India recently successfully tested it’s new Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) anti-ship/anti-submarine rocket torpedo weapon system for potential future naval warfare applications against the Chinese Navy, as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific region. So, what we’ve got here is some pretty serious naval weapons capability flexing to let China know that India won’t just lay down as China flexes its own naval muscle.

SMART is similar in approach to the U.S. Navy’s RUM-139 Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (VL ASROC), Russian RPK-9 Medvedka, and Chinese CY-1. Basically the Indian SMART missile-launched torpedo is delivered to the target area via the aforementioned missile, and then dropped gently into the water via parachute. Once in the water, the SMART torpedo does what a torpedo does, seek and home in on the target, and destroy it.

According to India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), “this canister-based missile system consists of advanced technologies — two stage solid propulsion, electro-mechanical actuators and precision inertial navigation.” Interestingly, the SMART ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) weapon system can be launched from land-based coastal defense locations, as well as surface ships.

It should be noted that SMART was first tested in October 2020, but the most recent (succesful) tests were, again, likely performed to send a clear message to China to stay out of its backyard. “Officials said that India’s capacity building in the area of anti-submarine warfare is crucial in the light of China’s aggressive deployment of naval assets in general and submarines in particular in the Indian Ocean Region,” writes the Indian Express.

It should also be noted that India “also beefing up its ASW capabilities with the purchase of 18 U.S.-made P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, the Indian version of the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon. The P-8I replaced the Indian Navy’s aging Russian-made Tu-142 patrol planes,” according to 1945.

So, it looks like India will be joining the United States and Japan in checking Chinese naval aggression moving forward, and that’s a good thing.

© Copyright 2021 DefenseReview.com (DR). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without receiving permission and providing proper credit and appropriate links. If you are reading this article anywhere other than DefenseReview.com, please email us the website address/URL (where the unauthorized DR article reprint is located) at defrev (at) gmail (dot) com. Thank you.

Related Articles:

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Scorpius Mulit-Beam Air Defense/Electronic Warfare (EW) System: Looking VERY Good in a Pretty Violent Middle Eastern Hood

Gerald R. Ford Class US Aircraft Carrier Defenses/Survivability Analysis Animation by The Infographics Show: How Well is it Protected?

Chinese Military Developing Supercavitating Supersonic Submarine for High-Speed Naval Warfare

Raytheon DDG 1000 Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer with Electric Propulsion: Low-Observable, Hyper-Lethal

Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART): India’s New Anti-Ship/Submarine Rocket Torpedo Naval Warfare Weapon Can Destroy Ships and Submarines at Long Range by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

Check Also

SIG SAUER MCX Reduced Signature Assault Rifle (RSAR) Suppressed .300 Blackout (.300BLK) COTS Drop-On PDW-Type Upper Receiver for QUIET Military Special Operations Missions!

B David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com January 7, 2023 The Firearm Blog (TFB) …