Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs): India-U.S. Collaboration for Defence Innovation

What are Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs)?
 

1. Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) are robotic vehicles that operate on the sea surface, primarily used for recording oceanographic data and enhancing maritime surveillance.
2. These vessels use wave power or propeller-driven propulsion systems.
    

Advantages of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs)
 

1. Larger payload capacity and higher battery endurance compared to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).
2. Sustain prolonged operations using renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
3. Enable enhanced capabilities in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and undersea domain awareness (UDA).
    

Challenges
 

Navigational risks in congested waters remain a key concern for autonomous operation.
 

India-U.S. Partnership for Wave Glider ASV
 

Under the U.S.-India Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between:

1. 1. Liquid Robotics (a Boeing subsidiary), and
   2. Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd., an Indian startup specializing in unmanned systems.
       

Wave Glider ASV: A Strategic Platform
 

1. The Wave Glider is a critical ASV platform aimed at:
   1. Enhancing undersea domain awareness (UDA),
   2. Enabling system-of-systems interoperability,
   3. Facilitating ocean testing,
   4. Establishing a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India.
2. This is the first such co-development project between a U.S. company and an Indian startup, marking a milestone in bilateral defence cooperation.
    

Broader Context: Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA)
 

1. The partnership is part of the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) initiative launched during PM Modi’s visit to the U.S.

• ASIA aims to expand industry partnerships and production capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region.
   

Other Key Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) Technologies Identified for Co-Production
 

Apart from the Wave Glider, several UDA-related systems are being explored under India-U.S. collaboration:

1. Sea Picket: Autonomous surveillance system with sonar acoustic array (Thayer Mahan).
2. Low Frequency Active Towed Sonar.
3. Multi-Static Active (MSA) Sonobuoys:
   1. First-of-its-kind India-U.S. co-production announced in January.
   2. Ultra Maritime (UM) partnering with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for manufacturing in India.
4. Large Diameter Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (produced by Anduril).
5. Triton Autonomous Underwater and Surface Vehicle (produced by Ocean Aero)