April 8, 201313 yr I understand that this question may not exactly have to do with Harpoon, but since this forum has been so helpful, I decided to ask. In what context where nuclear torpedoes used? Where they meant to detonate underwater near carrier task forces or meant for harbors and ports?
April 8, 201313 yr I understand that this question may not exactly have to do with Harpoon, but since this forum has been so helpful, I decided to ask. In what context where nuclear torpedoes used? Where they meant to detonate underwater near carrier task forces or meant for harbors and ports? There were only a handful of nuclear armed torpedoes, most of them Soviet in origin, with yields ranging from about 5 to 20 kT. They were in principle no different really from conventional torpedoes, though some of them were so short ranged that I can hardly imagine a "safe" scenario in which a submarine could use them and still expect to escape untouched. The monster Soviet Type 65-73 is probably the exception, with a range big enough to shoot from a distance and then maneuver to escape, and undoubtedly intended for high value targets like US Navy carriers. I suppose a few of them might have been suitable for attacking ports, due to having their warheads set to detonate at a pre-set point or upon command.
April 8, 201313 yr Some nuclear torpedoes were intented for ASW use, as the US Mk45. Other for anti-surface, as the Soviet submarines in the Cuban Missile Crisis. About the use against ports or harbors, the preliminary design of the Soviet SSN November class included a monstruous 15 meters long torpedo for this use, but his development was discontined because a target analysis determined only two suitables ports in the World to use against!
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