TEHRAN
(FNA)- Senior Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) officials said the
IRGC Navy is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and vessels, and is
one of the only two world military forces equipped with a unique
torpedo which moves with unbelievable velocity.
Speaking to FNA, IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said when
the home-made missile/torpedo, Hout, was displayed in a series of
wargames a few years ago, over 2,000 world media covered the news.
He said the speed of the missile is 100 meters per second (360km/h) under water.
The Admiral explained that the gruesome weapons has originally been
made by the Russians, adding that Americans have spent a sum of 20
billion dollars in 15 years to develop its technology, but failed.
The Russians call the torpedo Shkval. The speed of this missile or
torpedo far exceeds that of any standard torpedo currently fielded by
NATO. This speed is a result of supercavitation: the torpedo is, in
effect, flying in a gas bubble created by outward deflection of water by
its specially shaped nose cone and the expansion of gases from its
engine. By keeping water from coming into contact with the surface of
the body of the torpedo, drag is significantly reduced, allowing
extremely high speeds.
The Russians started designing it in the 1960s when the NII-24
research institute was ordered to produce a new weapon system capable of
combating nuclear submarines. In 1969, the GSKB-47 merged with NII-24
to create the Research Institute of Applied Hydromechanics in Kiev,
Ukraine (constructor Merkulov); the Shkval being a product of this
merger.
Russian V-A 111 Shkval Torpedo photo from archive
Announced as being deployed in the early 1990s, although previously
operational as early as 1977, the Shkval is designed as a countermeasure
against torpedoes launched by undetected enemy submarines. It may also
be used as a counter to incoming torpedoes whereby it is launched at the
enemy submarine, forcing it to evade, and hopefully cutting the
guidance wire to the enemy torpedo in the process.
Russian V-A 111 Shkval Torpedo photo from archive
Launched from 533 mm torpedo tubes, the VA-111 exits the tube at 50
knots (93 km/h). Shortly afterwards, its liquid-fuel rocket ignites and
propels it to speeds of up to 200 knots (370 km/h). Some reports
indicate that speeds of 250+ knots may be achieved, and that work on a
300-knot (560 km/h) version was underway. The rocket engine uses a
combination of high test peroxide and kerosene; the propellant tanks
contain about 1500 kg of hydrogen peroxide and 500 kg of kerosene.
The torpedo controls its direction using four fins that skim the inner
surface of the supercavitation envelope. To change direction, the fin
or fins on the inside of the desired turn are extended, and the opposing
fins are retracted. To make faster turns, the push plate on the nose
can be used to control the shape of the bubble the missile is traveling
in.
Russian V-A 111 Shkval Torpedo photo from archive
1 comment:
Every month these geniuses come out with a new super weapon of Western Destruction.
Our DOD should contract with them for their services or perhaps the Chicoms have already done so.
Post a Comment