Indian Navy trials advanced underwater naval mine (VIDEO)

In a significant boost to India’s undersea warfare capabilities, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Navy have undertaken combat firing (with reduced explosive) of the indigenously designed and developed multi-influence ground mine (MIGM). 

The advanced underwater mine, developed with reduced explosives for testing purposes, marks a major milestone in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defense technology.

The MIGM, a next-generation underwater weapon, has been designed to effectively neutralize modern stealth submarines and surface ships. It has been developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam — a DRDO lab specializing in naval systems — in collaboration with two other DRDO establishments: High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune, and Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh.

The validation trial demonstrated the operational readiness and effectiveness of the system under realistic conditions. According to DRDO, the successful firing confirms the system’s multi-sensor integration and intelligent triggering capabilities, tailored to address evolving maritime threats.

Production of the MIGM will be undertaken by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Visakhapatnam, and Apollo Microsystems Limited, Hyderabad, ensuring that the system is manufactured domestically at scale — in line with the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the achievement, congratulating DRDO, the Indian Navy, and industry partners for the milestone.

“This system will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s undersea warfare capabilities, reinforcing our maritime security,” he said in a statement.

Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, highlighted the importance of the trial.

“With this successful validation, the Multi-Influence Ground Mine is ready for induction into the Indian Navy,” he stated.

The induction of the MIGM is expected to strengthen India‘s deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific region, where undersea domain awareness and denial capabilities are becoming increasingly critical.