Mark 48 torpedo
| Mark 48 torpedo | |
|---|---|
Technicians perform maintenance on a Mark 48 torpedo in 1982.
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| Type | Heavyweight torpedo |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service |
1972–present (Mod 1) 1988–present (ADCAP) 2008–present Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) |
| Used by |
United States Navy Brazilian Navy Royal Australian Navy Royal Canadian Navy Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Gould, Inc. Naval Surface Warfare Center |
| Designed | 1967 |
| Manufacturer | Gould/Honeywell (Mod 1) Hughes Aircraft (ADCAP) |
| Unit cost | $894,000 (1978 USD) $3,500,000 (ADCAP) (1988) $3,800,000 (CBASS) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3,434 lb (1,558 kg) (original), 3,695 lb (1,676 kg) (ADCAP) |
| Length | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Diameter | 21 in (530 mm) |
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| Effective firing range | 38 km (24 mi; 21 nmi) at 55 kn (102 km/h; 63 mph) or 50 km (31 mi; 27 nmi) at 40 kn (74 km/h; 46 mph) (estimated), officially "greater than 5 miles (4.3 nmi; 8.0 km)" |
| Warhead | high explosive plus unused fuel |
| Warhead weight | 650 lb (290 kg) |
|
Detonation
mechanism |
proximity fuze |
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|
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| Engine | swash-plate piston engine; pump jet |
| Propellant | Otto fuel II |
| Maximum depth | 500 fathoms, 800 m (2,600 ft) (estimated), officially "greater than 1200 ft" |
| Speed | 55 kn (63 mph; 102 km/h) (estimated) officially "greater than 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)" |
|
Guidance
system |
Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System |
1972–present (Mod 1) 1988–present (ADCAP)
The Mark 48 and its improved Advanced Capability (ADCAP) variant are American heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes. They were designed to sink deep-diving nuclear-powered submarines and high-performance surface ships.
The Mk-48 torpedo was designed at the end of the 1960s to keep up with the advances in Soviet submarine technology. Operational since 1972, it replaced the Mk-37 and Mk-14 torpedoes as the principal weapon of U.S. Navy submarines. With the entry into service of the new Soviet Alfa class submarine in 1972, the decision was made to accelerate the ADCAP program, which would bring significant modifications to the torpedo. Tests were run to ensure that the weapon could keep up with the developments and the weapon was modified with improved acoustics and electronics. The new version of the weapon, also known as Mk-48 Mod 4, was extensively tested and production started in 1985, with entry into service in 1988. From then on, various upgrades have been added to the torpedo. As of 2012[update] Mk-48 Mod 6 was in service; a Mod 7 version was test fired in 2008 in the Rim of Pacific Naval exercises. The inventory of the U.S. Navy is roughly 757 Mk-48 torpedoes.
The Mk-48 torpedo is designed to be launched from submarine torpedo tubes. The weapon is carried by all U.S. Navy submarines, including Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and Seawolf-, Los Angeles-, and Virginia-class attack submarines. It is also used on Canadian, Australian, and Dutch submarines. The Royal Navy elected not to buy the Mark 48, preferring to use the Spearfish instead.
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Wikipedia