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This new German torpedo, the Barracuda is supposedly faster Shkval, maneuverable and accurate unlike the Shkval and consequently is claimed to be able to intercept the Shkval and other torpedo.
NEWS FLASH - June 1st 2005- NEW GERMAN SUPERCAV TORPEDO!
http://www.deepangel.com/html/the_squall.html
German companies have developed a highly advanced new supercavitating torpedo known as the 'Barracuda'.
Built by Diehl BGT Defence, and Altas Elektronik the previously top secret Barracuda travels at over 800km/h, faster than the Shkval, and is fully guided, capable of twisting and turning in on its target at high speed!
Recently unveiled in May at IMDEX 2005 in Singapore the Barracuda has already undergone a whole range of successful tests. The designers of the prototype Barracuda boast that its capabilities are unmatched, claiming the design is 10 years ahead of American research. It is claimed the Barracuda is maneuverable enough even to home in on, and knock out an incoming Shkval!
You can read a full article about supercavitation, that includes a write up and pictures of the Barracuda, as well as pictures from the world of Deep Angel in the launch issue of 'Wunderwelt Wissen' magazine.
The PDF's of the article may be downloaded from the ProSieben TV site by clicking here.
A different render of the Barracuda and accompanying article is available from the same site by clicking here.
An article from German journal Europaeische Sicherheitit that includes another different render of the Barracuda in action is available by clicking here for the article, or here for the render.
As Robert Kulinsky of American Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) states in the article - we stand today where once aircraft designers stood after the first flight of the Wright Brothers... at the forefront of a oncoming revolution.
The Shkval (Squall) is the revolutionary new breed of torpedo in use by Russian Naval forces.
The Shkval is the first use of supercavitational technology in modern weapons and represents perhaps the largest leap forward in underwater warfare since the invention of the submarine itself.
Launched from Bars (Akula) and Antyey (Oscar) class submarines, Shkval torpedoes travel at over five times the speed of conventional torpedoes. Propelled forward by a rocket engine, there are no countermeasures or defenses which can stop the Shkval.
Research on developing a self propelled supercavitational projectile began in the early 1960's at the Ukrainian Institute of Hydromechanics. It took over a decade for the fundamental problems to be solved, during which time, the sound barrier is believed to have been first broken underwater. The research led to the construction of underwater supercavitating rifles for use by elite Russian Spetznaz troops, and in the mid 1970's to the creation of the world's first supercavitating torpedo.
First appearing in 1977, the original VA-111 Shkval is some 26 ft (8 m) long and is thought to have a range of around 5 miles (8 kms). Believed by some to be unguided, sources differ on whether the torpedo is nuclear capable. The Shkval is propelled forward by a solid rocket motor. Traveling at over 300 mph (500km/h) the Shkval is so fast that (despite being equipped with one) it does not even require a warhead! Its sheer mass and velocity is enough to sink an opposing submarine.
Development of the Shkval has continued through the 1980's and 1990's to the present day. Very little information is available about the Shkval II, the existence of which was made public by the Russian government in 1998. Rumours state a top speed of possibly 450+ mph (720 kph/h) and a vastly improved range, believed by some to be in the region of 60+ miles (100 km). The fact that the Shkval II is guided renders it vastly superior to the original Shkval. The Shkval II is thought to be able to supercavitate, then if need be slow down and reacquire its target, before speeding up and homing in for the kill. Yet newer techniques developed by Ukrainian scientists are believed to offer the possibility for high speed supercav guidance and maneuvering.
The Russian Navy has always pursued a different approach to the United States 'run silent, run deep' philosophy on submarine warfare. Placing more emphasis on speed rather than silence, it appears the Russians may have backed the winning horse.
Picture this scenario... A Los Angeles class and a Russian Akula Class submarine hunt each other. The Los Angeles is first to fire, releasing a conventional Mark 48 torpedo into the water. Upon launch of the Mark 48 a retaliatory VA-111 Shkval is fired down the trajectory of the incoming torpedo, straight at the Los Angeles class, forcing it to maneuver and thus cut the guidance wire to its own fish! Furthermore, the close range of modern submarine engagements would in all likelihood result in the Los Angeles class being incapable of maneuvering out of the path of the Shvkal in the fleeting few seconds between launch and impact.
Because of this ability the Shkval has often been classed as a defensive weapon, used to protect against the Russians inability to run as silent as opposing submarines. Such ideas, however, have been put to rest with the creation of the Shkval II and further guided variants.
With their longer ranger, the Shkval II and newer variants could potentially be launched at a distance of over 60 miles, and home in on their target, with no countermeasures available. As such, a single nuclear equipped Shkval could take out a carrier battle group whilst sitting tens of miles away.
Little is known of current Russian Shkval projects, other than the amazing potential which supercavitational projectiles hold. The capacity to create a supercavitating torpedo/rocket which would race towards a target underwater and then become airborne once nearing a coastline would render any kind of anti ballistic missile shield useless.
The Russian Navy is the primary user of the Shkval. A downgraded Shkval, the Shkval-E went to an international arms fairs in 1995, and both China, Iran and France have been known to have acquired limited numbers of Shkvals. The Russian press has claimed that the technology of the Shkval cannot be reverse-engineered and thus the Russian Navy is marketing the export variant aggressively.
The Shkval rocket torpedo represents the first step in the underwater revolution which is fast approaching. As funds pour into supercavitational research around the world it becomes more and more clear that control of supercavitation will soon equate to control of the seas.
Other references:
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001688.html
Does this not make the MK48 torpedo obsolete?
NEWS FLASH - June 1st 2005- NEW GERMAN SUPERCAV TORPEDO!
http://www.deepangel.com/html/the_squall.html
German companies have developed a highly advanced new supercavitating torpedo known as the 'Barracuda'.
Built by Diehl BGT Defence, and Altas Elektronik the previously top secret Barracuda travels at over 800km/h, faster than the Shkval, and is fully guided, capable of twisting and turning in on its target at high speed!
Recently unveiled in May at IMDEX 2005 in Singapore the Barracuda has already undergone a whole range of successful tests. The designers of the prototype Barracuda boast that its capabilities are unmatched, claiming the design is 10 years ahead of American research. It is claimed the Barracuda is maneuverable enough even to home in on, and knock out an incoming Shkval!
You can read a full article about supercavitation, that includes a write up and pictures of the Barracuda, as well as pictures from the world of Deep Angel in the launch issue of 'Wunderwelt Wissen' magazine.
The PDF's of the article may be downloaded from the ProSieben TV site by clicking here.
A different render of the Barracuda and accompanying article is available from the same site by clicking here.
An article from German journal Europaeische Sicherheitit that includes another different render of the Barracuda in action is available by clicking here for the article, or here for the render.
As Robert Kulinsky of American Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) states in the article - we stand today where once aircraft designers stood after the first flight of the Wright Brothers... at the forefront of a oncoming revolution.
The Shkval (Squall) is the revolutionary new breed of torpedo in use by Russian Naval forces.
The Shkval is the first use of supercavitational technology in modern weapons and represents perhaps the largest leap forward in underwater warfare since the invention of the submarine itself.
Launched from Bars (Akula) and Antyey (Oscar) class submarines, Shkval torpedoes travel at over five times the speed of conventional torpedoes. Propelled forward by a rocket engine, there are no countermeasures or defenses which can stop the Shkval.
Research on developing a self propelled supercavitational projectile began in the early 1960's at the Ukrainian Institute of Hydromechanics. It took over a decade for the fundamental problems to be solved, during which time, the sound barrier is believed to have been first broken underwater. The research led to the construction of underwater supercavitating rifles for use by elite Russian Spetznaz troops, and in the mid 1970's to the creation of the world's first supercavitating torpedo.
First appearing in 1977, the original VA-111 Shkval is some 26 ft (8 m) long and is thought to have a range of around 5 miles (8 kms). Believed by some to be unguided, sources differ on whether the torpedo is nuclear capable. The Shkval is propelled forward by a solid rocket motor. Traveling at over 300 mph (500km/h) the Shkval is so fast that (despite being equipped with one) it does not even require a warhead! Its sheer mass and velocity is enough to sink an opposing submarine.
Development of the Shkval has continued through the 1980's and 1990's to the present day. Very little information is available about the Shkval II, the existence of which was made public by the Russian government in 1998. Rumours state a top speed of possibly 450+ mph (720 kph/h) and a vastly improved range, believed by some to be in the region of 60+ miles (100 km). The fact that the Shkval II is guided renders it vastly superior to the original Shkval. The Shkval II is thought to be able to supercavitate, then if need be slow down and reacquire its target, before speeding up and homing in for the kill. Yet newer techniques developed by Ukrainian scientists are believed to offer the possibility for high speed supercav guidance and maneuvering.
The Russian Navy has always pursued a different approach to the United States 'run silent, run deep' philosophy on submarine warfare. Placing more emphasis on speed rather than silence, it appears the Russians may have backed the winning horse.
Picture this scenario... A Los Angeles class and a Russian Akula Class submarine hunt each other. The Los Angeles is first to fire, releasing a conventional Mark 48 torpedo into the water. Upon launch of the Mark 48 a retaliatory VA-111 Shkval is fired down the trajectory of the incoming torpedo, straight at the Los Angeles class, forcing it to maneuver and thus cut the guidance wire to its own fish! Furthermore, the close range of modern submarine engagements would in all likelihood result in the Los Angeles class being incapable of maneuvering out of the path of the Shvkal in the fleeting few seconds between launch and impact.
Because of this ability the Shkval has often been classed as a defensive weapon, used to protect against the Russians inability to run as silent as opposing submarines. Such ideas, however, have been put to rest with the creation of the Shkval II and further guided variants.
With their longer ranger, the Shkval II and newer variants could potentially be launched at a distance of over 60 miles, and home in on their target, with no countermeasures available. As such, a single nuclear equipped Shkval could take out a carrier battle group whilst sitting tens of miles away.
Little is known of current Russian Shkval projects, other than the amazing potential which supercavitational projectiles hold. The capacity to create a supercavitating torpedo/rocket which would race towards a target underwater and then become airborne once nearing a coastline would render any kind of anti ballistic missile shield useless.
The Russian Navy is the primary user of the Shkval. A downgraded Shkval, the Shkval-E went to an international arms fairs in 1995, and both China, Iran and France have been known to have acquired limited numbers of Shkvals. The Russian press has claimed that the technology of the Shkval cannot be reverse-engineered and thus the Russian Navy is marketing the export variant aggressively.
The Shkval rocket torpedo represents the first step in the underwater revolution which is fast approaching. As funds pour into supercavitational research around the world it becomes more and more clear that control of supercavitation will soon equate to control of the seas.
Other references:
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001688.html
Does this not make the MK48 torpedo obsolete?
