Who is Vibhav Altekar, US Navy Rescue Mission: Who is Vibhav Altekar? After all, how the AI drone boat of an Indian-origin engineer played an important role in saving the lives of 2 American pilots? What is the specialty of Corsair drone boat? Know about Vibhav Altekar, CTO of Saronic Technologies.
Vibhav Altekar, US Navy Drone Boat: Amidst the discussion around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drone technology across the world, the name of an Indian-origin technology expert has suddenly come into the limelight. The reason is the high-tech drone boat mission of the US Navy, in which for the first time an autonomous surface vessel was used to safely rescue two military pilots stranded in the sea. This drone boat is ‘Corsair’, which has been developed by Texas-based Saronic Technologies. The co-founders of this company also include Indian-origin engineer Vibhav Altekar. Altekar is serving as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the company and is considered the chief architect of its AI-based autonomous technology.
What is the specialty of Corsair drone boat?
The 24 feet long Corsair drone boat runs on diesel fuel and can reach speeds of up to 35 knots. Its operational range is said to be more than 1,000 nautical miles. It can carry a load of up to 1,000 pounds and with the help of AI technology, it can complete a variety of missions in the sea. It is being used under Task Force 59 of the US Navy. This unit works on AI based drones and unmanned systems.
Who is Vibhav Altekar: Who is Vibhav Altekar?
Vibhav Altekar has studied Electrical Engineering and has been working in the field of defense technology and Autonomous Systems for a long time. According to Saronic Technologies’ website, he leads the company’s autonomous systems, software architecture and advanced engineering programs. His team works in cutting-edge areas such as machine learning, navigation, perception, command and control, and systems integration. Prior to this, Altekar was one of the early engineers at defense technology company Anduril, where he led several important projects. These also include the Ghost Shark drone submarine program developed for the Australian Navy.
Why is this achievement of Vibhav Altekar important?
AI and defense technology are going to change the picture of war and security system in the coming times. In such a time, it is a matter of pride for India that Indian-origin engineers are reaching leadership roles at the global level. The story of Vibhav Altekar shows that Indian talents are not limited to just leading the world’s big tech companies, but are also shaping the military and strategic technologies of the future.