Longshot torpedo
 

May 31, 2007: The U.S. Navy has successfully tested an accessory (the "LongShot® Wing Adapter Kit") for its lightweight Mk 54 torpedo, which allows a maritime patrol aircraft to launch the torpedo from high altitude. The test was at 8,000 feet, but it could be higher. The kit has pop-out wings, so the high-altitude torpedo can still be stored inside the aircraft bomb bay. When dropped, the wings pop out, an onboard computer uses GPS and tiny electric motors, to operate the wings and fins to guide the torpedo to a preprogrammed location, at which point the glide kit falls away as the torpedo enters the water, and starts searching for the submarine. The glide kit can also be used with air dropped naval mines, or even dumb bombs (in which case, it is another version of JDAM). It took contractor Lockheed Martin a year, and three million dollars, to develop the system.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/hts.../20070531.aspx
http://www.corlobe.tk/IMG/jpg/ORD_HA...Concept_lg.jpg

:hmm: an ASW Torpedo?

will it also be used on normal ships?

No this is a Mk54 modified to be launch by the 'new' Boeing P8 ASW aircraft, they can atatck subs at long distance (80miles).

the P8 cruise at high altitude it is a modified 737 so it can't fly near the sea level (salt is not good for the palnes)

I see...now its up for the submarines to look for a counter weapon for these kinds of attacks.

The question is, tho, how do you detect a submarine from 8000 fts up and 8 miles away?

I suppose a standoff capability is necessary, given the fact that submarine based SAMs seem to become a reality pretty soon with projects like IDAS.
Well, regarding detection, maybe they can also develop glider based sonoboys?
Or a dipping sonar UAV?

MAD, Satellite, passive sonar buoy, or a nearby sub or surface vessel....no need for them to run the risk of detection :hmm:

The MAD will not be used on the P8, I think it will rely more sonobuoy and SARadar (in the P8 or UAV) to detect sub.

The P8 can make a large pattern of sonobuoys and monitor them all at the same time, he fly high so there is no losse of comm between the aircraft and the buoy

I suppose there really is none. You (realistically, yet) cannot detect an aircraft when you are deeper than ~80 feet, so this weapon would almost be like an ASROC, just dropped from aircraft instead of ship-launched.

And anyone who plays DW knows that you wont detect a ship-launched ASROC without a "lucky eye" and a periscope. And a sub at periscope depth is a sub that is visually detected by an aircraft.

I suppose if the aircraft drops it accurately enough with the torpedo in the "circle pattern" (within the no-escape area of the Mk-54), the sub is toast, unless they have some good counter-measures and a lot of luck.(active and passive).

Any type of new countermeasure for this would be an interesting sight to see.

Only three million dollars?!?!

Now thats an investment!

:rotfl:

True. Seeing how the Navy uses some xx Billion dollars for each "project" (of each, how many never made it to production?). This shall go down in history.

Oh a navy plane that can't stand up to Salt Water. Serrously WTF. Not many PLAN or Iranian subs out in the desert near Edwards AFB! :roll:

Same thing with the MH-60R. :damn:

I miss the P-3 Orion already. What is with the US military replacing perfictly good weapon systems with inferior ones with less capablities?
^Same goes for the Navy's F/A-35 Lightning. :down:

with modern sub design and quieting i cant see the usefulness of this weapon maybe against skimmer but as an ASW weapon not useful at all