Also Known As:
Mark 46 Mod 5, Mark 46 Mod 5A(S), Mark 46 Mod 5A(SW), MK46
Origin:United States of America
Contractor/s:
Raytheon
Description:
The Mark 46 torpedo is a lightweight, self-propelled guided underwater projectile, designed to attack high-performance submarines. The Mark 46 is the NATO standard lightweight torpedo. The Mark 46 MOD 5 is the most advanced version of this torpedo scheduled to remain in service until the year 2015. Mark 46 last upgrade consists of a better performance in shallow water.
The Mark 46 torpedo is used as the ASROC's warhead and the kill vehicle of the Captor sea mine. It can be launched from surface ships, aircraft, helicopters and even rockets. The first Mark 46 torpedo was deployed in 1966. Mark 46 Mod 5A(SW) torpedo is optimized for shallow water environments and is being provided to the existing Vertical Launch ASROC (VLA) under RUM-139B upgrade.
Specifications Dimensions: Diameter 438 mm, Length 2.6 m
Weights: Max Weight 235 kg (518 lb), Warhead 45 kg (99 lb)
Performance: Max Operating Depth 457 m (1,499 ft), Max Range 11,000 m (36,089 ft), Top Speed 23 mps (45 kt)