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Originally Posted by Gorshkov
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Molon Labe
Care you provide us with a source, btw?
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Yes, I have found recently some interesting data in Polish military monthly "Nowa Technika Wojskowa" (what means "New Military Technology" in English). They published one big article about "Oscar" class submarines with respect to "Kursk" incident a few years ago. As we know "Kursk" was armed with USET-80s during disaster. That is why author described USET-80 characteristics in this article as follows (my own translation):
"USET-80 torpedoes were introduced into service in early 1980s. They are electrically powered with Zn-Mg batteries as their energy source. They have range of 18 km and speed of 50 knots. USET-80 is equipped with active-passive acoustic sensor, wake-homing device and it is also wire-guided. Torpedo warhead contains 200-300 kg of explosives. USET-80 torpedo can hit surface and subsurface targets up to 500 meters (other sources says up to 1000 meters) depth."
Besides, if USSR introduced first wire-guided torpedoes of TEST-68/TEST-71 types in the late 1960s, it is logical that USET-80 must be a lot better weapon than those in all aspects because it was created a decade later. Moreover USET-80 was a primary weapon of Soviet nuclear (not diesel!) submarines in 1980s and thus it is not possible USET-80 don't have wire guidance, which was a basic standard at those days. Maybe this torpedo can be fired without attached wire but for sure not only with such option!
PS. I personally suppose, USET-80 can sustain 50 kts speed at its maximum 18 km range! It is quite enough because modern submarines can't detect each other on longer ranges. So, USET-80 is a formidable ASW weapon even now! |
It's not logical to conclude that a weapon made later in time will necesarily have all the features of a previous model. For example, the Mk54 does not have the depth capability that the Mk50 does.
My gut feeling is that the article made a mistake. I can't find any other source that says the USET-80 is wire guided. It seems that Russian torpedo development went along two tracks: the SET/USET line, which are not wire guided, and the TEST line, which is. (It looks like the UGST is part of the TEST family.)
Of course, if we find more non-classified sources saying the USET is wire guided, I could change my mind, but for now it seems the info out there overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that it is not wire guided.