50th contract under SPRINT initiative: Navy inks agreement with Sagar Defence Engineering for autonomous armed boat swarms

New Delhi, Jan 9: In a major developement, the Indian Navy has inked an agreement with Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd for acquiring armed autonomous boat swarms under the ‘SPRINT’ initiative, which aims to promote development and usage of indigenous defence technologies by domestic companies.

 

 

 

 

Reports suggest that the task of development of this technology is one of the 75 challenges that have been introduced by the Indian Navy under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav last year. This is the 50th contract that has been signed under ‘SPRINT’. Reportedly, Sagar Defence Engineering possesses the know-how to develop this first armed autonomous unmanned boat with swarming capabilities for the country.

 

 

 

 

 

“The agreement refers to an Indian Navy project of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 7) SPRINT initiative, and the Indian Navy expects to place an order for 12 systems after the construction of the weaponized autonomous unmanned boat,” said the company in a statement. The SPRINT initiative was unveiled by PM Modi during Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ in New Delhi in July 2022.

 

SPRINT Challenges aim to boost the usage of indigenous technology in Indian Navy. “We have to work to continuously increase the number of indigenous technologies. Your goal should be that when India celebrates 100 years of its independence, at that time our Navy should be at an unprecedented height”, PM Modi has said while launching the initiative.