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Chinese Navy - Torpedoes

In the sequence of the People's Army, torpedoes have always been a relatively mysterious existence. Among the weapons and equipment of the Chinese Navy, the torpedoes that fight underwater are more mysterious than the various types of missiles that have been repeatedly exposed. Not only is the appearance, features and performance poorly known, but even its model name is unfamiliar. Nowadays, countries with a little technical foundation can develop missiles, and there are nearly 20 countries capable of manufacturing submarines. However, there are only a few countries with independent design and manufacture of modern torpedoes. It can be said that modern torpedoes are one of the most difficult naval technologies to develop. China is one of the countries that can independently develop and produce torpedoes.

During the 1980s, China acquired torpedoes from Western sources. China’s relations with European countries have also been greatly improved, and many European countries have also opened the door to arms sales to China. At that time, China purchased 40 A244S light anti-submarine torpedoes and launch systems from Italy, and copied them in the case of digestive technology (it is said that China also obtained heavy-duty A184 torpedoes). At present, the anti-submarine weapons of the Chinese Navy Air Force's Z-8 and Z-9 helicopters are mainly whitehead torpedoes. The torpedo is one of the most advanced light anti-submarine torpedoes in the world. Its power is lead-acid battery. It adopts tri-frequency pulsed active and passive dual-audio guidance system, and is equipped with a pre-set search and motion mode seeker. The torpedo has a diameter of 324 millimeters, a length of 2.6 meters, a maximum speed of 30 knots, a maximum range of 6 kilometers and a warhead of 34 kilograms.

In addition, in the early 1990s, China introduced two 877 and two 636 Kilo submarines from Russia, along with the several torpedoes that they carried with the boats. In fact, the Russian torpedoes had certain technical content, level and skills and tactics are still good, but in this piece is the weakness of the old Maozi, and how much is also affected in the torpedo. When China purchased Kilo, it also purchased Supporting Russian torpedoes, including: TEST-71, TEST-96 and 53-65.

1. TEST-71 type: TEST-71 type torpedo has a diameter of 533 millimeters, a length of 8.2 meters, a warhead of 205 kilograms, battery power, a maximum speed of 45 knots, a maximum range of 19 kilometers, and is guided by the middle line guide terminal. Passive joint guidance mode, submarine and surface ships can be used, the mission is anti-submarine warfare.

2. TEST-96 type: It is a modified type of TEST-71 type, and its performance is more advanced. It is a multi-functional torpedo, which can be used for both anti-submarine and attacking. The guiding method is not only the active-passive combined acoustic guidance of the midway guide terminal. Turbulence guiding devices have also been added to enhance the ability to attack ships.

3. 53-65: 533 km diameter, but the propulsion system is a thermal power unit, 7.8 meters long, with a maximum speed of 50 knots and a maximum range of 19 kilometers. The mission is to attack the ship, to guide the automatic mode of turbulence, submarine or surface ship. Both can be equipped with this type of torpedo. According to the Russian side, the Chinese Navy has obtained the production license for the latest turbulence-guided torpedo from Russia. Due to the current turbulence-guided torpedoes and the lack of effective interference and counterbalance techniques, the introduction of this technology will greatly enhance the operational capabilities of the Chinese Navy's submarines.

4. China purchased 40 VA-111 "Storm" underwater rocket torpedoes from Kazakhstan in the 1990s. This rocket uses the supercavitation principle, which can reach 200 knots under water. At the same time, China also started negotiations with Russia on the purchase of the corresponding technology, and began to work on the development of the Chinese version of the "Squall". The Chinese version of the storm torpedo can hit the weaker underwater part of the US aircraft carrier that is within 90 kilometers.

All of these are Chinese domestically developed projects. There are foreign technical components, but by now, they have basically been digested and absorbed and become our own. The number of fish 1 in the navy is very small. The current situation of Fish 2 is still unclear. Fish 3 and its improved type are the current main force. Fish 4 is already behind at the current level. The imitation MK46 is still in use. It is estimated that the domestic model has been out for a while. The number of Whiteheads is less. One more thing is that the rocket-assisted anti-submarine missiles that have been hidden in the cloud until now are still half-covered.

Just as the US Navy's MK46 is gradually being replaced, the new domestic anti-submarine torpedo that replaces the Yu-7 has also appeared in public view. This anti-submarine torpedo, which debuted in South China Sea exercises, has a very large length-to-diameter ratio, almost reaching the length limit of existing torpedo tubes, which shows that it attached great importance to the range and speed indicators.

According to public information, the new anti-submarine torpedo adopts a closed-cycle power system and new propellant that have been intensively researched in China in recent years, and has a larger attack range; in order to target the threats of large conventional submarines and nuclear submarines in neighboring countries, the torpedo part uses a tandem warhead that can effectively destroy the shell of a double-hull submarine.