Tomahawk Missile (TLAM)
Sub-Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile
Mk48 Torpedo
Mk48 ADCAP Torpedo
Tigerfish Torpedo
Spearfish Torpedo
Tomahawk Missile (TLAM)
Sub-Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile
Mk48 Torpedo
Mk48 ADCAP Torpedo
Tigerfish Torpedo
Spearfish Torpedo
Description: Long range, subsonic cruise missile used for land attack and for anti-surface warfare.
Background: TLAM is an all-weather submarine or ship-launched land-attack cruise missile. After launch, a solid propellant propels the missile until a small turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of flight. Tomahawk is a highly survivable weapon. Radar detection is difficult because of the missile's small cross-section, low altitude flight. Similarly, infrared detection is difficult because the turbofan engine emits little heat. Systems include Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; an upgrade of the Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) system; Time of Arrival (TOA) control, and improved 402 turbo engines.
Features: The land attack version of Tomahawk has inertial and TERrain COntour Matching (TERCOM) guidance. TERCOM uses a stored map reference to compare with the actual terrain to determine the missile's position. If necessary, a course correction is then made to place the missile on course to the target.
| Sources | High | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function: | Long-range subsonic cruise missile for anti-surface warfare and or land attack (can be conventional or nuclear). | ||
| Speed: | 2 | ~550 mph (~880 km/h) | Mach 0.75 |
| Range: | 2 | 600 nautical miles (1104 km) | 500 nautical miles (925 km) |
| Length: | 2 | 18 feet 3 inches (5.56 meters); 20 feet 6 inches (6.25 meters) with booster | |
| Diameter: | 2 | 20.3 inches (51.72 cm) | 20.4 inches (51.81 cm) |
| Wing Span: | 2 | 8 feet 9 inches (2.67 m) | 8 feet 7 inches (2.62 m) |
| Weight: | 2 | 2648 lbs (1202 kg); 3198 lbs (1452 kg) with booster | 2627 lbs (1192.5 kg); 3172 lbs (1440 kg) with booster |
| Warhead: | 2 | Conventional: 1,000 lbs (454 kg) bullpup/submunitions | |
| Contractors: | General Dynamics, Convair Division; McDonnell Douglas | ||
| Power Plant: | Williams International F107-W-R-400 cruise turbo-fan engine; solid-fuel booster | ||
| Fuel: | JP10 | ||
| Guidance System: | Inertial and TERCOM (land attack) | ||
| Cost: | 1 | $1.1 to 1.2 million | - |
| First Deployed: | 2 | 1983 | |
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Sub-Harpoon is the submarine launched or encapsulated Harpoon as used by the Royal Navy (both the Basic and Block-1C versions). The Block-1C variant adds (amongst other things): more range, an improved seeker, and the ability to insert a number of waypoints into the flightpath of the weapon to disguise it's direction of approach and allow simultaneous arrival of multiple weapons.
| Sources | High | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function: | Submarine launched anti-surface (anti-ship) cruise missile | ||
| Speed: | 2 | 560 knots (1024 km/h) | Mach 0.85 |
| Range: | 2 | 80 nautical miles (146 km) | > 60 nautical miles (> 110 km) |
| Length: | 2 | 15 feet 2 inches (4.63 m) | 15 feet (4.55 meters) |
| Diameter: | 2 | 13.5 inches (342.9 mm) | |
| Wing Span: | 2 | 3 feet (0.91m) | 2 feet 9 inches (0.83 m) |
| Weight: | 2 | 1500 lbs (681 kg) | 1470 pounds (661.5 kg) |
| Warhead: | 1 | 488 pounds (224 kg) penetration HE | 488 lbs (221.6 kg) |
| Contractors: | McDonnell Douglas | ||
| Power Plant: | Teledyne Turbojet and solid propellant booster | ||
| Fuel: | JP10 | ||
| Guidance System: | Sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar altimeter, active radar terminal homing. | ||
| Cost: | 1 | $720,000 | - |
| First Deployed: | 2 | 1985 | 1984 |
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The Mk48 torpedo is the mainstay heavyweight torpedo of the United States Navy and is now being replaced by the updated Mk48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) torpedo
| Sources | High | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function: | Submarine launched heavyweight torpedo | ||
| Speed: | 2 | 55 knots (100 km/h) | |
| Range: | 3 | 27 nautical miles (50 km) low speed | 20 nautical miles (37 km) high speed |
| Length: | 2 | 19 feet 6 inches (5.95 m) | 19 feet 2 inches (5.84 m) |
| Diameter: | 2 | 21 inches (533 mm) | |
| Weight: | 1 | 3496 lbs (1587 kg) | - |
| Warhead: | 2 | 660 lbs (300kg) | |
| Contractors: | Hughes | ||
| Power Plant: | External combustion gas-piston | ||
| Fuel: | Otto liquid mono-propellant | ||
| Guidance System: | Dual-wire guided with active terminal homing SONAR | ||
| Cost: | 0 | N/A | |
| First Deployed: | 2 | 1972 | 1971 |
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The Mk48 ADCAP heavyweight torpedo is the upgraded Mk48 now being introduced into the United States Navy.
| Sources | High | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function: | Submarine launched heavyweight torpedo | ||
| Speed: | 2 | 60 knots (110 km/h) | 55 knots (101 km/h) |
| Range: | 3 | >27 nautical miles (50 km) low speed | 20 nautical miles (37 km) high speed |
| Length: | 2 | 19 feet 6 inches (5.95 m) | 19 feet 2 inches (5.84 m) |
| Diameter: | 4 | 21 inches (533 mm) | |
| Weight: | 1 | 3496 lbs (1587 kg) | - |
| Warhead: | 2 | 660 lbs (300 kg) | |
| Contractors: | Hughes | ||
| Power Plant: | External combustion gas-piston | ||
| Fuel: | Otto liquid mono-propellant | ||
| Guidance System: | Dual-wire guided with active terminal homing SONAR | ||
| Cost: | 0 | N/A | |
| First Deployed: | 2 | 1990 | 1989 |
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The Mk24-2 Tigerfish torpedo is the mainstay heavyweight torpedo of the Royal Navy and has been for 9 years. It is now being replaced in service by the much more capable Spearfish...
| Sources | High | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function: | Submarine launched heavyweight torpedo | ||
| Speed: | 4 | 35 knots (64 km/h) | |
| Range: | 3 | 22 nautical miles (39 km) - low speed | 7 nautical miles (13 km) - high speed |
| Length: | 2 | 21 feet 2 inches (6.46 m) | |
| Diameter: | 4 | 21 inches (533mm) | |
| Weight: | 1 | 3414 lbs (1550 kg) | - |
| Warhead: | 2 | 750 lbs (340kg) | 295 lbs (134 kg) |
| Contractors: | GEC-Marconi | ||
| Power Plant: | Electrical | ||
| Fuel: | Chloride silver-zinc oxide batteries | ||
| Guidance System: | Wire guided with active terminal homing SONAR | ||
| Cost: | 0 | N/A | |
| First Deployed: | 2 | 1987 (M-1: 1981, M-0: ~1973) | 1986 (M-1:1980 M-0:~1973) |
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The Spearfish torpedo is the latest incarnation of the heavyweight torpedo used by the Royal Navy. It is ground-breaking in its capabilities and much of the information about it is highly classified.
| Sources | High | Low | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Function: | Submarine launched heavyweight torpedo | ||
| Speed: | 3 | 70 knots (128 km/h) | 65 knots (119 km/h) |
| Range: | 3 | 30 nautical miles (54 km) low speed | 12.5 nautical miles (23 km) high speed |
| Length: | 1 | 23 feet (7 m) | - |
| Diameter: | 3 | 21 inches (533mm) | |
| Weight: | 1 | 4075 lbs (1850 kg) | |
| Warhead: | 2 | 660 lbs (300 kg) directed energy | |
| Contractors: | GEC-Marconi | ||
| Power Plant: | Sundstrand gas-turbine | ||
| Fuel: | Otto fuel | ||
| Guidance System: | Wire guided with active terminal homing SONAR | ||
| Cost: | 0 | N/A | |
| First Deployed: | 1 | 1992 | - |
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