Context:
India and the US agreed to co-produce sonobuoys in the U.S. for Undersea Domain Awareness for the Indian Navy.
Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA)
Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) is a maritime aspect that encompasses the underwater sector, including security, sea lines of communication, coastal waters, and maritime assets. It is motivated by military requirements and geophysical activities relating to human well-being, because monitoring these activities can help to minimize the effects of natural disasters and protect the environment.
Key Highlights:
- Sonobuoys
- Sonobuoys track submarines deep within seas and oceans. It’s part of the series of measures undertaken by the countries to contain the rapid expansion by China in the Indian Ocean Region.
- The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean in the world, covering about 20% of the Earth’s surface. It’s bordered by Asia to the north, Africa to the west, and Australia to the east.
- Sonobuoys track submarines deep within seas and oceans. It’s part of the series of measures undertaken by the countries to contain the rapid expansion by China in the Indian Ocean Region.
- Manufacture
- Ultra Maritime and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will jointly manufacture and supply sonobuoys for the Indian Navy based on U.S. Navy standards.
- Sea Guardian Aircraft
- P-8, MH-60R, and MQ-9B are Sea Guardian aircraft.
