Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes

A Mark 46 torpedo launching from the Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes set aboard USS Mustin
Personnel from USS Porter loading a recoverable training torpedo into the top tube of a Mark 32 launcher

The Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes (Mk 32 SVTT) system[1] is a torpedo launching system designed for the United States Navy. The Mark 32 has been the standard anti-submarine torpedo launching system aboard United States Navy surface vessels since its introduction[2] in 1960, and is in use aboard the warships of several other navies.[2]

Most versions (referred to as modifications or mods) are triple-tube sets that can be rotated or trained to face a target.[2] The exception is the Mod 9 sets, which only have two tubes and are fixed in position.[2] The Mark 32 can fire torpedoes of the Mark 44, Mark 46, Mark 50 (from the Mod 17 tubes onwards),[2] and Mark 54 designs, and can be modified to use other torpedoes (such as the MU90 Impact aboard Royal Australian Navy frigates, or Royal Navy units using Sting Ray torpedoes).[3][4] The tubes are designed to be fired remotely, but manual firing controls are fitted as a backup to all but the Spruance-class destroyer's Mod 15 sets, as all aspects of the tubes' operation are controlled remotely.[2] The launch is powered by compressed air[2] in a rear flask, which also doubles as each tube's breech, and the torpedoes are fire-and-forget weapons.

The launcher can be made from fibreglass, or with a fibreglass liner encased in metal.[2] The tubes were designed to be weatherproof and capable of storing torpedoes for long periods, but this is only practical with regular maintenance. Each triple-tube set weighs around 2,230 pounds (1,010 kg) unloaded, with variations between mods.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jane's: SVTT Mk 32 (United States), Weapon handling and launching systems
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Friedman, Norman (2006). The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems (5th ed.). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. pp. 754–5.
  3. ↑ Fish, Tim; Grevatt, Jon (24 June 2008). "Australia's HMAS Toowoomba test fires MU90 torpedo". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
  4. ↑ Chant, Chris (2005). Submarine Warfare Today: The World's Deadliest Underwater Systems. Leicester: Silverdale Books. p. 143. ISBN 1-84509-158-2.
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