DRDO reportedly developing Deep-Strike Electric Heavyweight Torpedo to counter Chinese submarines
By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is developing a new version of its Electric Heavyweight Torpedo (EHWT) to counter China’s deep-diving submarines, with an 800-meter depth capability, increased range, and enhanced endurance for long-distance missions.
This marks a major upgrade over the current 600-metre class torpedoes, reflecting a strategic response to China’s growing fleet of deep-diving submarines equipped with advanced stealth technologies, said Samir V. Kamat, Chairman DRDO, speaking to R. Anil Kumar, on the sidelines of IMS-2025, in Bengaluru.
The forthcoming torpedo variant will possess extended range and endurance, enabling it to pursue and neutralise hostile submarines during prolonged blue-water operations. Enhanced propulsion efficiency and energy management systems will allow sustained missions across vast oceanic theatres, a crucial capability for distant maritime zones such as the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Dr. Kamat said.
The DRDO’s design team is building upon the proven framework of the existing Electric Heavyweight Torpedo, which is powered by an advanced electric propulsion system. This technology offers quiet operation, precise guidance, and low acoustic detectability, making it particularly suitable for tracking stealthy underwater targets, he said.
Speaking on the Key improvements, the DRDO Chief said it reportedly includes refined battery modules for higher power density, improved hydrodynamic shaping for reduced drag, and an upgraded control suite allowing higher-speed underwater manoeuvrability. Together, these features ensure reliable performance under high hydrostatic pressures encountered during deep-depth engagements, he added.
The enhanced torpedo is also intended for seamless integration with the Indian Navy’s Kalvari-class (Scorpène) submarines. This integration represents part of a larger effort to strengthen India’s undersea deterrence by upgrading offensive and defensive submarine warfare capabilities through indigenous systems under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Dr. Kamat stated.
Strategically, the 800-metre capability provides India a serious tactical advantage in deep-water anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Most current regional torpedoes operate effectively up to 500–600 metres, but China’s new generation of nuclear attack submarines, capable of deep submergence, require weapons that can operate at far greater depths. The Indian deep-strike torpedo is intended to close that capability gap, he said.
Dr. Kamat said that the additionally, extended range and battery endurance will make the torpedo suitable f
or long-distance missions, reducing operational dependency on forward bases or support vessels. These parameters significantly enhance India’s ability to conduct autonomous undersea operations in contested zones.
The development aligns with India’s broader naval modernisation program, which includes advanced sonar systems, upgraded underwater communication networks, and expanded submarine fleets, he said.
The deep-strike EHWT will thus form a critical element of India’s future underwater combat architecture, providing a potent deterrent against adversary submarines operating in deep oceanic sectors.
If trials proceed as planned, the DRDO’s next-generation torpedo is expected to enter sea-testing phases within the next two years, followed by integration trials aboard both existing and future Kalvari-class platforms. Once inducted, it will place the Indian Navy among the few global forces capable of sustained deep-water submarine engagement using fully indigenous technology, the DRDO Chief said.
