Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar dedicated a Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin (SMB) to the nation and handed over the Advanced Torpedo Defence System ‘Maareech’ to the Indian Navy at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Vishakapatnam. The SMB could be used by civilian shipbuilders and was also commercially viable. ‘Maareech’, developed by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, and NSTL, Vizag in coordination with the Indian Navy, is the best success story of the ‘Make in India’ programme, he said.

Parrikar handed over an expandable decoy to the Chief of Naval Staff R K Dhowan on the occasion. Forty systems have already been procured and are being deployed in the Indian Navy ships. The Minister said Varunastra, a heavy torpedo, designed and developed by the NSTL, has gone through user evaluation trials and a clearance is awaited for its production. The Minister also presented DRDO Technology Awards for the year 2013 to 15 scientists.