Well, a torpedo weights about 1,6 tons. If you put this number into this: http://calculator.tutorvista.com/imp...alculator.html

that would result in something like the enrgy of 1.5kg of TNT.
To put that in perspective here's a video of 2kg of TNT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pej7xZgsNJI

Sure, it wouldn't sink the boat, but it might damage the hull, destroy the screws/towed array/planes etc.

I'm surprised they haven't made a kickass drone "torpedo" with a nice squishy head (or an awesome braking system) to train crews with. Save weight by leaving out the warhead and guidance system and make it entirely manually controlled. Match it to projected enemy capabilities and then ramp it up to superhuman levels.

Then again I guess if the sim is awesome, maybe it's just safer.

Reminds me of Operation Pinball.

Maybe a soft, squishy paintball warhead. But, they could be embarrassing arriving back in port.

I'm pretty sure warhead and guidance aren't the heaviest parts of a torpedo (in Mk-48 warhead is about 17% of total mass). Even then there's also issue of balance. And if you were to develop a new torpedo just for training purposes then there's the issue of cost.

Still, what's the point of doing all that if a decent software with all the available data can simulate the whole thing just as much.
The big problem is that you don't know how the ENEMY torpedoes will behave.
You can be an expert at avoiding Mk48s but how is that going to help if the enemy torps will behave differently.

For ex. when I was working on torpedoes for my mod I increased the range of some Russian torpedoes. As a result the tactic of changing depth and gainign as much distance as possible stopped working because the torpedo would reacquire you before you can get out of its range.

Since torpedoes are more maneuverable than subs I don't suppose steep CW styled turns will save you. They can help but only marginally. If you were detected and shot at, hope your countermeasures and the intelligence they were based on, will work :)

They spy on exercises principally to see how platforms, sensors and weapons perform. Been done for decades.

A lot of technology is also for sale, it isn't too hard to work out its capabilities just by looking at blueprints.

Yes, but I think these days it's the software that's the important part. A different behaviour can ruin your entire evasion plan.

Spying on exercises wouldn't help much unless the enemy is firing actual live torpedoes at each other.

You can try to figure out their torpedo behaviour by watching their evasion manoeuvres but the might as well adjust them to what they think your torps would do.

Even export weapons aren't perfect because I don't think their guidance system is on par with the base models.

IMHO the only way to prepare an evasion tactic is to either see an enemy torpedo in action (against a target that's actually doing it's best to evade it) or get a hold of one.
Otherwise the best you can do is to account for the most probable situations and modify your movements on the fly.

This is essentially what I was pointing out. We can plan for, project, and estimate to our hearts content... until we get shot at, there's simply no way to know, and at that point there are only two options.

A) We live to tell everyone at home it works.
B) We go on Eternal Patrol.

Another 20 yr retired submariner here..
That's a good question, and while I was not a Sonar Tech, Fire Control or an Officer, yea there are many things a sub can/does do!

I was a Chief of the Watch (which is in control of almost the entire Sub unerway) and let me tell you that was the coolest thing I ever did.. Was working on becoming a Diving Officer but well..I retired lol

Now obviously I cannot say yes a fictional #1 is true or #3 is false because even being retired, there are things I cannot say ;)

Sub crews do spend a lot of time practicing evasion tactics, and more specifically I mean the ships control party (OOD, helmsman/planesman, COW, DOOW) Sonar and Quartermaster as well.

Playing DW right now and man this stuff brings back memories!