Pariksha SaathiDRDO's indigenous AIP Energy Module for Navy submarines enters 'Setting to Work Phase-2' at L&T Hazira
The 'Setting to Work Phase (STW)-2' activity of the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system Energy Module, developed indigenously by DRDO's Naval Materials Research Laboratory, was inaugurated on 24 October 2026 at Larsen and Toubro's AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex in Hazira, Gujarat. An AIP system boosts the underwater endurance of diesel-electric submarines by reducing their dependence on atmospheric oxygen. Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh joined the ceremony virtually. In the next phase the Energy Module will be energised for power production and tested as per the Indian Navy's protocols, before it is handed over to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited for integration on a Kalvari-class submarine in early 2027.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
DRDO proved the land-based prototype of its fuel cell-based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system on 8 March 2021, operating the plant in endurance mode and maximum power mode as per the user requirements. The system was developed by the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) with industry partners L&T and Thermax. Among the AIP systems being pursued internationally, NMRL's fuel cell-based AIP is described as unique because the hydrogen is generated onboard.
Check yourself: when did DRDO prove the land-based prototype of its AIP system, and what makes NMRL's fuel cell-based AIP unique?
On 8 March 2021; the hydrogen is generated onboard.
Revision task: from this release, note the module's developer, the phase inaugurated and where, what an AIP system does, and the submarine class and year of integration; from the note, the date the land-based prototype was proved, the industry partners and why NMRL's AIP is unique.
Test yourself
Which DRDO laboratory developed the indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Energy Module whose 'Setting to Work Phase-2' was inaugurated on 24 October 2026?
Show the answer
Answer: Naval Materials Research Laboratory
The AIP Energy Module was developed by DRDO's Naval Materials Research Laboratory; the activity was held at L&T's Hazira complex in Gujarat. The module is to be integrated on a Kalvari-class submarine in early 2027.
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