NewzVille Desk
Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on 3 April, 2026, laid the foundation stone of the state-of-the-art Large Cavitation Tunnel (LCT) facility at the Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a premium laboratory of DRDO in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
The facility will significantly enhance India’s naval research and testing capabilities, marking a major step towards achieving technological self-reliance.
Rajnath Singh also visited the Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin, where he witnessed display of advanced underwater systems, including torpedoes, naval mines, decoys, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
A live demonstration of a swarm of man-portable AUVs showcased India’s growing prowess in autonomous maritime operations and next-generation underwater warfare technologies, underlining the nation’s focus on future-ready defence systems.
Singh also inspected some of the vital products realised as spin-off technologies by the Naval Systems Materials cluster labs post Operation Sindoor.
