Canberra [Australia], July 3 (ANI): India and Australia have launched their first bilateral science and technology project arrangement to advance the detection and tracking of submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles, marking a significant boost in defence cooperation on undersea surveillance technologies, Australia’s Department of Defence announced on Thursday.
The three-year joint research project, outlined in the agreement, will be carried out between Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) Information Sciences Division and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory. The initiative underscores the two nations’ growing strategic partnership and shared commitment to maritime security.
The DSTG, Australia’s premier defence science agency, will work closely with DRDO on pioneering research using Towed Array Target Motion Analysis (TMA) technology. The aim is to improve the reliability, efficiency, and interoperability of existing undersea surveillance capabilities.
Amanda Bessell, Discipline Leader at DSTG’s Information Sciences Division, explained the significance of the project: “Target Motion Analysis is a crucial element in maintaining platform situational awareness, particularly when operating in passive mode. This research leverages a towed-array-based signal processing system to enhance performance in challenging underwater environments.”
DSTG Senior Researcher Dr. Sanjeev Arulampalam elaborated on the system, describing the towed array as a long, flexible cable of hydrophones deployed behind a submarine or surface vessel. “The hydrophones capture underwater sounds from multiple directions, feeding signals through processors that detect and analyse acoustic emissions from maritime targets,” he said. The research aims to refine algorithms to mitigate noise corruption and explore novel performance improvements.
Chief of DSTG’s Information Sciences Division, Suneel Randhawa, highlighted the project’s broader implications: “As underwater battlespace evolves with greater use of autonomous vehicles, strengthening surveillance capabilities is essential. The findings from this program could guide future algorithmic advancements for undersea combat systems.”
The joint effort will involve sharing of expertise, investigative trials, algorithm demonstrations, and rigorous performance analyses. According to Randhawa, “Harnessing international partnerships allows us to tap into wider expertise, infrastructure, and data to tackle common challenges and deliver innovative solutions faster.”
This announcement comes shortly after External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington, where they marked the fifth anniversary of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
India and Australia have steadily deepened their defence and strategic ties, with three unique institutional frameworks: the Annual Leaders’ Summit, the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue, and the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue — a point recently noted in India’s Parliament by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.
The Department of Defence called the new project a milestone in the two nations’ growing cooperation on maritime domain awareness, a shared priority in the increasingly contested Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)
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