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From: tek@pram.CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Torpedoing Battleships
Message-ID: <1991Jun7.071846.7340@amd.com>
Date: 31 May 91 21:23:54 GMT
References: <1991May23.054849.13718@amd.com> <1991May31.061110.12964@amd.com>
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From: tek@pram.CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim)


div3@midway.uchicago.edu (Dwight Divine IV) writes:
>On the subject of torpedos and defenses against them, has anyone tried to
>develop an active defense?  

I have been told in WWII, AA machineguns were sometimes fired at
incoming shallow-running torpedoes. Also, there are old rumors that the
Soviets might use massed RBU barrages as a last ditch torpedo defense.
More recently, the USN has a classified research program in "Surface
Ship Torpedo Defense". FY91 Authorization for this program amounts to
$53.9M with requests for FY92 at $58.4M and FY93 at $34.1M.  (All
figures from May 91 USNI Proceedings.)

Since it is classified, no public statement (at least that I know of)
has been made about what approaches are being studied and whether those
methods are active or passive or hard or soft kill. But of course,
there is speculation, including induced whirlpools to throw the
torpedoes off course and 200 knot anti-torpedoes.

>This has been in the back of my mind for some time--along with the similar
>question of why submarines don't mount anti-aircraft weapons to be used 
>against sub-hunting aircraft.

There are persistant rumors that certain Soviet submarines have small
SAMs (variants of SA-N-5 or SA-N-8) launchable from their periscope
masts. Apparently, some variant of UK Blowpipe was also offered in a
similar configuration. The rumor mill says Israel equipped some of
its subs this way.

-- 
Ted Kim                           Internet: tek@penzance.cs.ucla.edu
UCLA Computer Science Department  UUCP:     ...!{uunet|ucbvax}!cs.ucla.edu!tek