Navy On Cusp of Awarding Contract for New Torpedo
The Very Light-weight Torpedo
Northrop Grumman photograph
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Navy is poised to award the contract for its first new torpedo in additional than twenty years.
In October, the ocean service launched a request for proposals for the Compact Speedy Assault Weapon program. The RFP sought bids to fabricate the prototype for the very light-weight torpedo, or VLWT, developed by Pennsylvania State College’s Utilized Analysis Laboratory. As soon as fielded, will probably be the Navy’s latest torpedo because the Nineties.
Whereas it’s unclear who responded to the RFP, Northrop Grumman entered its personal prototype torpedo into the manufacturing contract competitors in November, mentioned David Portner, the corporate’s senior program supervisor for undersea weapons.
“The contract that we bid on is actually to transition the hassle from Penn State to business, and our focus is to basically modify the design to make it decrease value in manufacturing,” Portner mentioned on the sidelines of the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Area convention in Nationwide Harbor, Maryland.
He added the company is ready for a choice on a “day-to-day foundation” from the Navy.
At 9 toes lengthy and round 200 kilos, Northrop Grumman’s VLWT prototype is a fraction of the dimensions and weight of the 600-pound Mark 54 light-weight torpedoes presently utilized by the Navy. The dimensions would permit the Navy to hold extra torpedoes on a submarine, and even create the choice for both manned or unmanned plane to hold them, Portner mentioned.
As well as, the torpedo will have the ability to carry out each defensive and offensive missions relying upon which software program is configured. The compact fast assault weapon, or CRAW, is the offensive model of the torpedo and the countermeasure anti-torpedo, or CAT, is the defensive model.
“Defensively, this torpedo is being designed to interact an incoming torpedo. Offensively, it’s been designed to interact a submarine,” Portner mentioned. Whichever approach operators arrange the torpedo will decide the way it interacts with threats primarily based on their dimension, pace and whether or not or not they’ve a crew onboard, he defined.
The primary iteration of the light-weight torpedo designed at Penn State was fielded as a defensive weapon, however this system has since been canceled. Nevertheless, the Navy realized the advantages of getting a multi-mission weapon and pushed the college to design a extra versatile torpedo, Portner defined.
“These will probably be a lot less expensive. It’s far more quickly launched and it’s extra maneuverable as a result of it was designed for that defensive functionality,” he mentioned. “However bringing within the offensive functionality as properly, a submarine can use it in these conditions.”
The Navy is utilizing an different transaction authority settlement to compete this system. The acquisition will search to transition the Penn State prototypes to large-scale manufacturing.
Subjects: Navy Information