Atmanirbhar Bharat: BEL upgrades ATDS Maareech manufacturing facility

New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an upgraded, state-of-the-art Maareech Integration Facility of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) through video conference on Monday. On the occasion, BEL's Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) Gowtama MV gave a presentation to Defence Minister on Advanced Torpedo Decoy System (ATDS) Maareech. This initiative by BEL is in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', a self-reliant nation.

ATDS Maareech is a fully indigenous system involving sensors and decoys developed jointly by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) labs, Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) and Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), and produced by BEL. Two production-grade systems manufactured by BEL have been installed and trial evaluated on-board INS Gomati and INS Ganga. The Indian Navy has awarded BEL a contract for Maareech systems.

Prior to the induction of ATDS Maareech, the Indian Navy had imported the system for 12 platforms. But now with the indigenous development of this system, BEL has upgraded its existing facilities with the capacity to manufacture and deliver 12 ATDS Maareech systems every year. This facility enables BEL to provide a reliable defence mechanism for Surface Ships of the Indian Navy against possible torpedo attacks. The upgraded ATDS facilities include Test Bays for electronic cabinets, Expendable Decoy Manufacturing and Towed Array Integration & Testing facility (Ramp Structure, Oil Filling facility, Load Test facility and Neutral Buoyancy Tank facility). BEL has constructed a new building for ATDS manufacturing at a cost of around Rs 12 crores. The indigenously developed Maareech System is a big step towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', as it saves the country around USD 4 Million in foreign exchange per system.

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