Defense Technology International - March 2008 - (Page 32)

WARFARE NAVAL BACK IN BUSINESS Demand for torpedoes grows with submarine ﬂeet increase JORIS JANSSEN LOK•THE HAGUE U.S. Navy warship ﬁres Raytheon Mk 46 lightweight torpedo. Nevertheless, conventional heavyweight torpedoes dominate the market. These are typically equipped with wire-guidance systems and advanced acoustic homing heads to perform the ﬁnal close-in and intercept maneuvers. Their range can be as great as 90-100 km. and their top speed more than 50-55 kt.—enough to defeat a nuclear submarine or a frigate trying to run away at 30 kt. After the lean years of the 1990s and early 2000s, there are only ﬁve main suppliers of advanced heavyweight torpedoes in the West. Of these, two have been winning most of the competitions in the past decade: Atlas Elektronik of Wedel, Germany (owned 60% by German naval shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and 40% by EADS), and WASS (Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei) of Italy, which is owned by Finmeccanica and works with DCNS of France. Atlas produces the DM2A4 torpedo system. It is known to the non-NATO export market as the Seahake Mod 4, and features slightly di erent software. The DM2A4 has been ordered by the German navy for the Type U212 air-independent propulsion submarines, built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, two of which are on order and four in service. Turkey has also acquired the DM2A4. The weapon is powered by a highfrequency permanent magnet electric motor. This device and the torpedo’s electronics draw power from silver-zinc (Ag-Zn) batteries (or “energy packages” in Atlas Elektronik parlance), of which up to four can be installed based on the modular design of the DM2A4. The torpedo’s performance and endurance increase with the number of energy packages. Each configuration has its own optimized seven-blade propeller section. U.S. NAVY T he fastest way to sink a ship, a submariner once told a DTI editor, is to let water in at the bottom and air out of the top. That’s the role of the 533-mm. (21-in.)-dia. heavyweight torpedo, a worldwide standard since the early days of submarine warfare. Demand for these weapons slumped after the Cold War—navies had ample stockpiles and cut back on submarine orders—but production and development are picking up due to the proliferation of advanced non-nuclear submarines (DTI May 2007, p. 24). Most torpedoes, though, still follow a classic conﬁguration. One major exception is Russia’s Shkval high-speed (around 200 kt.), supercavitating torpedo, which has yet to appear in any meaningful numbers on the international market. The rocket-propelled weapon has a 210-kg. (462-lb.) warhead. It derives its speed by generating a gas bubble around the skin that greatly reduces drag (DTI March/April 2006, p. 12). In a close-in, active-sonar engagement, a submarine with a Shkval would be a lethal opponent. The weapon’s range, however, is limited, reportedly around 13 km. (7 naut. mi.), and it is questionable if the Shkval is capable of the terminal precision guidance needed to intercept a maneuvering target some miles away, largely because its cavitator is installed on the nose of the torpedo. Russia isn’t the only country with an eye on supercavitation. Diehl BGT Defense of Germany is working on such a torpedo, known as Barracuda. In the U.S., the O ce of Naval Research has also funded work on supercavitation torpedoes and homing capabilities. 32 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2008 AviationWeek.com/dti http://AviationWeek.com/dti

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Defense Technology International - March 2008 Contents Sweden Cancels SEP; Israel Launches Imaging Satellite; Geotextiles Secure Ammo Dump U.S. Navy Taps Neural Architecture Software to Assure Job Satisfaction Shrapnel-Like Pieces of Reactive Materials Increase Explosive Force of Bombs Technology is Rapidly Closing the Gap Between Sensors and Shooters Italian Army Program Aims to Develop a Fully Networked Land Force Political and Military Uncertainties Plague U.S. Defense Budget Democrats Put Pentagon on Notice Over Spending and Policy at DTAR Conference Russian Combat Vehicle Protects Tank Formations from Anti-Armor Weapons European Battlelabs Use Simulation to Verify Technologies and Stretch Defense Funds Malaysia Accelerates Fleet Modernization to meet Long-Term Goals U.S. Navy Says Composite Raiding Boat May Reduce Injuries From Wave Shocks Seeing Isn’t Believing When it Comes to Deciphering Funds for Secret Projects Advances in Sensors and Propulsion Make Torpedoes Ever More Lethal FAA is in No Rush to Approve Rules that Let UAVs Fly in Civil Airspace USS Truman Carrier Strike Group Patrols a Rough Neighborhood 24/7 U.S. says Sino-Russian Space Disarmament Plan is Riddled with Pitfalls Hyperspeed Projectile; “Sound Cloak” Hides Subs; Improving Nuclear Forensics Dutch Air Commodore Theo ten Haaf Analyzes the Impact of Rotary-Wing Operations One Soldier’s War is a Behind-the-Headlines Look at Russia’s Campaigns in Chechnya Black Budgets are Huge and Growing, and Often Conceal Amazing Failures

Defense Technology International - March 2008

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