Ahmedabad: In a landmark move aimed at bolstering India’s maritime defence capabilities, Adani Defence & Aerospace has signed a binding agreement with Sparton (DeLeon Springs LLC), a group company of Elbit Systems and a global leader in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) systems. The agreement will pave the way for the local production of advanced sonobuoys—mission-critical systems used to detect and track submarines—in India for the first time.
This collaboration marks a major stride in India’s defence manufacturing sector, making Adani Defence the first private company in India to offer fully indigenised sonobuoy solutions. The development is in line with the Indian government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.
Reducing Import Dependence
For decades, India has relied on foreign suppliers for its sonobuoy requirements, increasing strategic dependency on global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). With this agreement, India takes a significant step toward reducing that dependency by enabling local assembly, integration, and eventual development of sonobuoy systems.
Sonobuoys play a crucial role in undersea domain awareness (UDA), helping detect, locate, and track submarines and other underwater threats. These systems are key components of Integrated Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions and are essential to anti-submarine warfare and protecting high-value naval assets such as aircraft carriers and strategic vessels.
Voices from the Collaboration
Jeet Adani, Vice President of Adani Enterprises, said the move comes at a time when strengthening undersea capabilities is not just a strategic need but an urgent national imperative.
“Through this partnership with Sparton, Adani Defence becomes the first Indian private company to provide indigenised sonobuoy solutions. This reflects our commitment to empowering India’s armed forces with globally competitive, homegrown technologies,” he stated.
Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace, emphasized the shift from dependency to self-reliance.
“This collaboration is a leap forward in integrating world-class technology with India’s defence ecosystem and building sovereign capabilities in a mission-critical area.”
Donnelly Bohan, President and CEO of Sparton DeLeon Springs LLC, expressed pride in bringing their legacy ASW technology to India.
“Our partnership with Adani will help localise manufacturing, develop high-tech skills, and deliver tailored ASW solutions for the Indian Navy’s evolving requirements.”
Looking Ahead
The agreement is expected to strengthen India’s maritime defence posture while contributing to the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem. The partnership also opens doors for exporting high-end ASW systems, showcasing India’s growing capability in developing next-generation defence technology not just for India, but for the world.
