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Submarine Weapon System A.184 heavy weight torpedo (HWT) |
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| 10/26 |
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The A184 is an Italian heavyweight wire-guided torpedo originally
developed by Whitehead SpA. It can be launched from surface vessels
and submarines and locates the target using an acoustic seeker. The
torpedo body is of a standard 21-inch (533 mm) form factor. Development began in 1967, with incremental development continuing until 1978. In spring of 1969, the weapon's development was funded by a contract with the Italian Navy. In 1971, an official staff requirement was issued to develop a replacement for the earlier G62ef Canguro, acoustic homing G6e, and Second World War-era straight-running G7e, the latter of which remained in production by Whitehead until the early 1970s. The new torpedo incorporated battery propulsion modern to the time period. The A184 prototype was tested in 1973 and the weapon entered service in 1974. The seeker head of the A184 possesses digital active and passive terminal homing using two semicircular arrays, one in the vertical and one in the horizontal plane. The weapon is wire-guided with active and passive sonar capabilities. Launch can be accomplished both by pneumatic catapult and in swim-out mode, dependent on torpedo tube hardware. When used by surface ships, the A184 is launched from aft-facing torpedo tubes. In 1997, development began on a replacement, initially designated as A184 Enhanced. This new weapon would be deployed in 2004 as the Black Shark, featuring numerous improvements such as a transition to fiberoptic wire guidance and lithium-polymer batteries. As of 2024, the (older) A184 Mod 3 remains in service with some navies due to its lower cost and remains listed as a product by Leonardo. Users of the A184 include the Italian and Ecuadorian navies as of 2024. In Italian service, the A184 was used on surface ships such as the Audace class destroyers and Maestrale class frigates, as well as submarines such as the Sauro class. Specifications: Type: submarine launched heavy-weight torpedo Manufacturer: Leonardo (earlier: WASS - Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei, Livorno, Italy) Diameter: 21 in (533 mm) Length: 6 meters (19 feet 7 inches) Weight: 1,265 kg (2,789 lbs) Range: 13 NMI (25 km) low-speed / 9.2 NMI (17 km) high-speed Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h) low-speed / 38 kn (70 km/h) high-speed Propulsion: Electric; Silver-Zinc Battery Engine: Contra-rotating direct-drive brushless motor Guidance System: fibre-wire guided Homing: acoustic digital active and passive terminal homing Warhead: 250 kg (550 lbs) HBX-3 (High Blast Explosive) Detonation mechanism: Impact and proximity In service: Italian Navy: since introduction; used on Todaro and Sauro class submarines, Maestrale class frigates. German Navy: used on Type 209, Type 210 and Type 212 submarines; supplied to foreign submarine buyers. Peruvian Navy - since 1986 Republic of China Navy - since 1986; used on the CNS Hai Pao and Hai Lung class submarines Chilean Navy Indonesian Navy Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela Ecuadorian Navy source: wikipedia, WASS + Leonardo |
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