A Joint Pact to develop Technology for undersea surveillance signed by Aussies
Australia, as members of the Quad (others being United States and Japan) has now realized the importance of a close defence partnership with India as a means to bolster its maritime domain awareness and contribute to regional stability and security.
India and Australia have now formalised a significant defence agreement focused on enhancing undersea surveillance capabilities, marking a new phase in their strategic partnership, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Leaders from both sides have highlighted the importance of harnessing innovation, science, and technology to build new capabilities and strengthen strategic partnerships.
A formal meeting in New Delhi between Shri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles led to the announcement of the above project. It will be a three-year joint research project between Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory.
The project is expected to guide future algorithmic directions for undersea combat system surveillance technologies and represents a milestone in the deepening of defence ties between India and Australia.
The core objective of the project is to improve the early detection and tracking of submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles through the development and application of advanced technologies.
Central to this initiative is the use of Towed Array Target Motion Analysis, a sophisticated method that integrates a linear array of hydrophones towed behind a vessel—either a submarine or a surface ship—on a flexible cable.
These hydrophones collectively monitor the undersea environment, capturing acoustic signals from various directions. The gathered sound data is then processed to filter, analyse, and detect underwater acoustic emissions from maritime targets, which is crucial for maintaining situational awareness during passive operations, where stealth is essential.
The research will focus on improving the reliability, efficiency, and interoperability of current surveillance systems used by both nations.
By jointly developing and testing novel algorithms, the project aims to manage noise corruption in underwater environments and explore performance enhancements in target tracking.
The collaboration will involve the sharing of ideas, live trials, algorithm demonstrations, and performance analyses, leveraging the combined expertise and infrastructure of both countries.
This initiative is particularly timely given the evolving nature of the underwater battlespace, which now includes a growing presence of autonomous underwater vehicles and increased maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific, notably from China.
