Mark 46 torpedo



The Mark 46 torpedo is the backbone of the United States Navy's lightweight anti-submarine warfare torpedo inventory and is the NATO standard. These aerial torpedoes are designed to attack high-performance submarines. In 1989, an improvement program for the Mod 5 to the Mod 5A and Mod 5A(S) increased its shallow-water performance. The Mark 46 was initially developed as Research Torpedo Concept I (RETORC I), one of several weapons recommended for implementation by Project Nobska, a 1956 summer study on submarine warfare.

Design details

 * Mark 46, Mod 5
 * Primary Function: Air and ship-launched lightweight torpedo
 * Contractor: Alliant Techsystems
 * Power Plant: Two-speed, reciprocating external combustion; Mono-propellant (Otto fuel II)
 * Length: 8 ft tube launch configuration (from ship), 14 ft with ASROC rocket booster
 * Weight: 508 lb (warshot configuration)
 * Diameter: 12.75 in
 * Range: 12,000 yd
 * Depth: > 1200 ft
 * Speed: > 40 knots
 * Guidance System: Homing mode: Active or passive/active acoustic homing
 * Launch/search mode: Snake or circle search
 * Warhead: 96.8 lb of PBXN-103 high explosive (bulk charge)
 * Date Deployed: 1967 (Mod 0); 1979 (Mod 5)

Yu-7 variant
The Chinese Yu-7 torpedo is said to be based on the Mk 46 Mod 2. The Chinese Navy used the Yu-7 ASW torpedo, deployed primarily on ships and ASW helicopters, but it started to be replaced by the Yu-11 in 2012.

Operators

 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇧🇭 Bahrain
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇱 Chile
 * 🇨🇴 Colombia
 * 🇭🇷 Croatia
 * 🇪🇨 Ecuador
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * 🇮🇷 Iran
 * 🇮🇱 Israel
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * 🇰🇼 Kuwait
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico
 * 🇲🇦 Morocco
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇳🇿 New Zealand
 * 🇳🇴 Norway
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan
 * 🇵🇪 Peru
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines
 * 🇵🇹 Portugal
 * 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇹🇼 Taiwan
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States