Torpedoes challenged: the torpedo is the navy's first guided missile (it was originally called a self-propelled torpedo) and while at first sight there seems to be less interest in underwater warfare, in practice there is a great deal of work to ensure that these weapons remain effective.

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Torpedoes

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Torpedoes challenged: the torpedo is the navy's first guided missile (it was originally called a self-propelled torpedo) and while at first sight there seems to be less interest in underwater warfare, in practice there is a great deal of work to ensure that these weapons remain effective.

The technology of the torpedo transcends the two types: heavyweight (generally 533 mm diameter) and lightweight (generally 324 mm). The heavyweight torpedo is the long lance of the submarine and was originally designed to sink surface ships. During the Cold War the role of the heavyweight weapon was adapted to sink enemy submarines in engagements which were expected to take place in the deep 'blue' waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific at long ranges of between 20 and 50 kilometres (10 to 27 nautical miles). Such long range engagements against a manoeuvring target required tighter control of the weapon, and the old 'free running' weapons were replaced by torpedoes which the submarine could control through copper wires, this allowed the weapon and the platform to exchange data until impact.

The lightweight torpedo has been an anti-submarine weap...

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