The Indian Navy intends to purchase diver propulsion vehicles (DPV) for its diving teams to enable them to carry out undersea clearing operations during combat in quicker times.
A request to manufacturers of the original equipment has been issued to provide information about the products for a likely future global tender for the equipment.
The 3m-long DPV is driven by an electric battery with a shelf life of three years and a charging time of less than 12 hours, while weighing less than 80kg, according to Brahmand.
The vehicle can carry two divers at a time in operating depths of 30m with a submerged speed of 2kt, surface speed of 1.5kt and a range of 2.5nm.
A navy officer said the propulsion vehicle’s essential role was to enhance performance of naval clearance diving teams during combat operations.
“The battery-operated propulsion system will be capable of functioning while submerged without the requirement to recharge for at least three hours,” he said.
The DPV will be deployable from air or boat and easy to operate with user-friendly controls and inbuilt navigation systems with depth gauges.
