In News:

India and the U.S. have announced cooperation on the co-production of U.S. sonobuoys to enhance Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA) for the Indian Navy. This technology is vital for tracking submarines and strengthening defense capabilities, particularly in the Indian Ocean region amidst growing Chinese naval presence.

This partnership is a key step in deepening defense cooperation under the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), launched in May 2022, and will contribute to strengthening both countries’ defense industrial bases.

About Sonobuoys

• What They Are:
  • Sonobuoys are expendable sonar devices used for anti-submarine warfare and underwater acoustic research.
  • Typically, small (13 cm in diameter and 91 cm in length), they are designed for deployment from aircraft or ships to detect submarines in deep waters.
• Working Principles:
  • Deployment: Dropped from aircraft or ships, they activate upon water impact.
  • Surface Float: Equipped with inflatable floats and radio transmitters to communicate with tracking platforms on the surface.
  • Sensors: Hydrophones descend to selected depths, capturing underwater acoustic signals.
  • Data Communication: Transmit acoustic data via Very High Frequency (VHF) or Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios to operators on aircraft or ships.
• Types of Sonobuoys:
  • Active Sonobuoys: Emit sound energy and receive echoes, transmitting the data back to operators.
  • Passive Sonobuoys: Only listen for underwater sounds from submarines or ships and relay the information back.
  • Special Purpose Sonobuoys: Measure environmental data like water temperature and ambient noise.
• Other Applications:
  • Beyond anti-submarine warfare, sonobuoys are used for environmental research, including studying marine life such as whales.

Co-production of Sonobuoys: India-U.S. Collaboration

• Manufacturing Agreement:
  • Ultra Maritime (U.S.) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) have entered into discussions to co-produce U.S. sonobuoys, in line with India’s "Make in India" initiative.
  • The production will follow U.S. Navy standards, with manufacturing split between the U.S. and India.
  • The focus will also be on developing bespoke technologies to optimize sonobuoy performance in the unique acoustic environment of the Indian Ocean.
• Interoperability:
  • The sonobuoys co-produced in India will be interoperable between U.S. Navy, Indian Navy, and allied aircraft such as P-8, MH-60R, and MQ-9B Sea Guardian.
  • This ensures seamless integration and compatibility with naval assets from the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia, especially given the Quad's strategic naval exercises like Malabar.
• Production Location:
  • The sonobuoys will be manufactured at BDL's facilities in Visakhapatnam, with a focus on meeting the Indian Navy’s operational demands.

Strategic and Defense Context

• U.S. and Indian Naval Cooperation:
  • India has increasingly acquired military platforms from the U.S., such as the P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, MH-60R helicopters, and MQ-9 drones. These assets are also used by other Quad nations like Australia and Japan, highlighting the importance of interoperability and shared defense capabilities in the region.
• Enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness:
  • With China’s growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean, the cooperation on sonobuoys aligns with India’s strategic priority of enhancing maritime domain awareness (MDA) and Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA), which are critical for national security.
• Future Plans:
  • India has also signed a $3.5 billion contract for 31 MQ-9B drones, enhancing its surveillance capabilities for maritime and other defense applications. Deliveries of these drones will begin in 2029, further boosting India’s defense readiness in the region.