Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: amara!khai@uunet.UU.NET (S. Khai Mong)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Are Torpedo Planes Still Around?
Message-ID: <11649@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 22 Nov 89 04:14:03 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: Applied Dynamics Int'l, Ann Arbor Mi
Lines: 28
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: amara!khai@uunet.UU.NET (S. Khai Mong)

I was wondering whether they still make torpedoes which are designed
to be carried by planes.  I assume that they are no longer made since I
rarely read about it.  If so, would anybody like to discuss why not?

[mod.note: They still use them, but only in ASW, I think.  - Bill ]

It seems as if antiship missiles have more or less displaced them.
Antiship missiles seem to be cheaper, simpler and more accurate than
torpedoes.  They are also easier to deliver since they have a much
greater range than torpedoes.  On the other hand, antiship missiles
have nowhere near the destructive power of torpedoes.  During WWII, a
torpedo hit was usually quite a disabling blow for most ships if not
fatal, whereas aerial bombs were less destructive.  A torpedo with a
good homing mechanism is also a lot more immune to close-in defensive
weapons since detection and accurate location would be a lot more
difficult.  It would seem that the best approach would be to have a
hybrid technology.  For the initial flight, have a cruise-missile like
capability, and then duck into the water to hit the target. 

[mod.note II (Son of Mod.note): What you've described is ASROC, an
antisubmarine weapon fo the US Navy. - Bill ]
--
Sao Khai Mong:   Applied Dynamics, 3800 Stone School Road, Ann Arbor, Mi48108
(313)973-1300 (uunet|sharkey)!amara!khai  khai%amara.uucp@mailgw.cc.umich.edu