What is the length of a true wire?

[Deathblow]

Anyone got any estimates on the true wire length of a wire guided torpedo? 5nm, 10nm?

I'm just curious

[TLAM Strike]

What kind of torpedo? I've read that a MK 48 has a 10-mile spool onboard the sub and a 10-mile spool in the torpedo for a total of 20 miles.

[GEPARD]

i agree!

[Sub Sailor]

I also agree that it is 10 miles in the after part of the torpedo, and 10 in the tube.
The Navy decided on that arrangement so the submarine can clear the launch point and still guide the weapon.

Ron Banks MMCM(SS), USN(Ret)

[Deathblow]

20nm it is then.

Thanks for the info

[blackshark]

20nm it is then.

Thanks for the info

20 miles and not 20 nautical miles - am I correct? :hmm:

[OKO]

10/10 sounds strange to me :
torpedoes will run always must faster than subs, usually 3 to 4 times !
so when the torp will reach 10 NM, the subs will be certainly at less than 3 miles from the original launch point.
I should have found 5 miles (for subs) / 15 miles (for torp) a best setting.
But maybe there is no way to put 15 miles of wire in the torp ....

[JanMasterson]

a french torp L5mod 2 (for SSN)'s wire is about 13.5nm long and a M48 ADCAP 's wire is about 21.6nm long.

Do someone have figures for other nations?

What about UK and Russia?

Bon Vent, Bonne Chasse,
Jan

[goldorak]

Maybe its a stupid question, but how thick is the wire ?
Having 10nm of wire onboard must take some space no ?
An what about the torpedo, how much part of the torpedo is dedicated to carrying the other 10nm of wire ?

[JanMasterson]

Maybe its a stupid question, but how thick is the wire ?
Having 10nm of wire onboard must take some space no ?
An what about the torpedo, how much part of the torpedo is dedicated to carrying the other 10nm of wire ?
from my source a wire isn't larger than an hair, more or less like optical fiber i guess.

[goldorak]

from my source a wire isn't larger than an hair, more or less like optical fiber i guess.

Wow i'm impressed :o.

[UglyMowgli]

In a Discovery document about SSN, we can see a torpedo man showing the wire, I will try to extract the scen or make image from the show.

[drEaPer]

I also agree that it is 10 miles in the after part of the torpedo, and 10 in the tube.
The Navy decided on that arrangement so the submarine can clear the launch point and still guide the weapon.

Ron Banks MMCM(SS), USN(Ret)

"clear the launch point" means closing the tube and rearming? or what does that mean?
Just curious, cause in DW you loose your connection to the torp when closing the tubedoor. So this is unrealistic?

[Wim Libaers]

It means moving the submarine away from the position where the weapon was launched, because the enemy might have heard the launch and counterattack that position.

[Henson]

15 Nautical Miles.

10 Kyds in the tube, 20 Kyds in the weapon's fuel section. The weapon moves faster, so it needs more wire.

[JanMasterson]

Mora datas:

The wires are in copper or in a similar alliage. It can be one or two wires.

The wire is contained in the tubes and at the bottom of the torpedo but there's no real traction from the torpedo, the wire is floating.

Depending the model, the wires contained in the torpedoes are between 10 and 30 km longes and are in the tubes 10 to 20km long.

The most recent torps, like the Blackshark or the DM2A4 are using optical fiber, thinner but also allowing more informations to be transmitted, such wire can be potentially 40km long.

Source:
Fil de guidage des torpilles (http://forum.aceboard.net/21889-3142-17136-0-guidage-torpilles.htm)

More about the DM2A4 here:
Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums - Torpedoes (http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32847)


Bon Vent, Bonne Chasse,
Jan