The DRDO and the India Navy have conducted four successful in-flight release trials of an indigenously designed and developed 'Air Droppable Container' system that can deliver a payload weighing 150 kg meant for a naval vessel that may be under distress or needing critical stores and equipment, according to officials.

As all the developmental flight trials have been completed successfully, the system is expected to be inducted into the Navy soon, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

To meet the requirement of the Navy, the 'ADC-150' system for the P8I aircraft was "developed and qualified in a short timeframe".

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Navy "jointly conducted four successful in-flight release trials of the indigenous Air Droppable Container 'ADC-150' from the P8I aircraft off the coast of Goa between February 21 to March 1, at different extreme release conditions," the ministry said in a statement.

Indigenously designed and developed to deliver 150 kg payload, the 'Air Droppable Container' "enhances the naval operational logistics capabilities for providing quick response to naval vessels under distress, needing critical stores or equipment, medical assistance etc. at blue sea deployed far from the coast," it said.

People familiar with the matter said, any defects in machinery or equipment while vessels are at sea, necessitate delivery of critical spares to them.

A ship could retrieve the air droppable container dropped near it, and receive the intended cargo while carrying out operational tasks, they said.

The ministry said Naval Science & Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam is the nodal laboratory for the activity.

"Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment, Agra has developed the parachute system and Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification, Bengaluru provided the flight clearance & certification. Defence Research & Development Laboratory, Hyderabad provided the instrumentation support for the trials," it said.