Navy Vice Chief reviews progress of new personal air mobility vehicle 'Varuna'

Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade reviewed the progress and witnessed flight trials of 'Varuna' - a personal air mobility vehicle capable of being launched and recovered from moving ships, said the Navy on Thursday. 

The vehicle is planned to be used for inter-ship transfer of stores and personnel.

Varuna has been made by M/s Sagar Defence Engineering and the Naval Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO). NIIO is working closely with the firm for variants of the vehicle for inter-ship transfer of stores and personnel.

Autonomous launch and QR code-based recovery on moving platforms at sea has already been previously demonstrated.

Ghormade also saw the autonomous boats and prototype of Autonomous Modular Inflatable Target (AMIT) for which a patent application has been filed by Indian Navy. These projects are a result of close collaboration between the private sector, academia, R&D Establishment (Engrs)/DRDO and NIIO. 

M/s Sagar Defence Engineering is one amongst the deep tech start-ups identified by NIIO for handholding by being designated as the 'Industry Innovation Partner'.