Billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate has agreed with a U.S. undersea warfare firm, Sparton, to create electronic sensors and navigation systems that may be applied for anti-submarine warfare, the conglomerate announced on Sunday.
Adani Defence & Aerospace has entered into a binding partnership agreement with Sparton (DeLeon Springs LLC) to manufacture anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solutions for the Indian Navy, it said in a statement.
India's Adani Group is partnering with Sparton, an Israeli defence electronics firm, to indigenize the production of sonobuoys and other underwater warfare systems in India. The partnership is part of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' program, aiming to provide indigenous sonobuoy solutions to the Indian Navy.
Sparton designs, manufactures, and distributes electronic systems for the U.S. Navy and allied naval forces. Adani Group has previously formed a joint venture partnership with Elbit Systems to produce deadly Hermes 900 drones and 'mini' drone missile weapons.
In a release on Sunday, Adani Defence & Aerospace stated it "has entered into a binding collaborative agreement with Sparton (DeLeon Springs LLC), an Elbit Systems group company and a world-leading provider of sophisticated anti-submarine warfare systems. The agreement is an important step towards localizing assembly of sophisticated electronic systems and advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solutions for the Indian and international markets."
The tie-up will bring together Sparton's pioneering ASW technology with Adani Defence's proven strengths in manufacturing, development, and sustainment for the Indian Navy.
Sonobuoys are mission-enabling platforms for increasing Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA), offering an efficient way to detect, locate, and track submarines and other underwater threats. Being a critical component of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and other naval operations, they enable maintaining naval security and the defence of carrier strike groups.
Sparton produces electronic sensor systems, navigation systems, and undersea warfare delivery systems.
"India has been importing this vital naval capability for decades from international markets, making us more dependent on foreign OEMs. Coupled with the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' initiatives, Sparton's long-standing partnership with the Indian Navy will now enable Adani Defence to indigenize the delivery of these solutions produced in India, for India," the statement added.
Jeet Adani, Adani Enterprises' Vice President, said, "In a more volatile maritime environment, enhancing the undersea warfare capabilities of India is not just a strategic imperative but a necessity for protecting sovereignty and national interests.
The Indian Navy needs integrated, mission-capable ISR and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, including essential systems such as indigenously developed, rapidly deployable, and world-class sonobuoys."
"With this collaboration with Sparton, Adani Defence & Aerospace is the first private sector entity in India to provide indigenized sonobuoy solutions, allowing for access to cutting-edge technologies while promoting a future-proof, self-reliant defence system.
This move is a testament to our group's vision of equipping India's defence forces with world-class capabilities developed, designed, and delivered in India, for India and the world."
Adani Defence is a subsidiary of Mumbai-listed Adani Enterprises Ltd.
Ashish Rajvanshi, Adani Defence & Aerospace CEO, stated, "For decades, India has relied on imports for such key technology. This collaboration to introduce world-class sonobuoy technology and fuse it with India's defence ecosystem is a step to develop self-reliant capabilities in this key area."
Donnelly Bohan, head and CEO of Sparton DeLeon Springs LLC, said, "Sparton has a rich history of problem-solving, state-of-the-art engineering, and production of America's finest maritime defence solutions. We are excited to join Adani Defence & Aerospace to introduce our battle-proven anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technologies to India. This joint venture will allow us to localize assembly, develop high-technology skill sets, and provide reliable ASW solutions to meet the needs of the Indian Navy."