Mark 54 MAKO Lightweight Torpedo

Mark 54 torpedo
Mark 54 Torpedo aboard USS Ross (DDG-71) in March 2008
Type	Lightweight torpedo
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2004–present
Used by	United States Navy  Royal Australian Navy
Production history
Designer	Raytheon
Designed	1999
Unit cost	US $1,000,000[1]
Produced	2003
Specifications
Diameter	12.75 inch(324 mm)
Launch platform	Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes, ASW Aircraft, RUM-139 VL-ASROC

The Mark 54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo (LHT) is a standard 12.75 inch (324 mm) antisubmarine warfare (ASW) torpedo used by the United States Navy.

Development

The Mark 54 was co-developed by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems and the US Navy under the US Navy's Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo program in response to perceived problems with the extant Mark 50 and Mark 46 torpedoes.

The Mk 50, having been developed to counter very high performance nuclear submarines such as the Soviet Alfa class, was seen as too expensive to use against relatively slow conventional submarines.

The older Mk 46, designed for open-ocean use, performed poorly in the littoral areas, where the Navy envisioned itself likely to operate in the future.

The Mk 54 was created by combining the homing and warhead portions of the Mk 50 and the propulsion unit of the Mk 46, improved for better performance in shallow water, and with the addition of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology to further reduce costs.

Developmental testing began in July, 1999, and a successful critical design review was completed in November, 1999.

In April 2003, Raytheon was awarded a sole source contract for the production of the Mk 54. Full rate production began in October, 2004.

The Mk 54 can be fired from surface ships via the Mark 32 surface vessel torpedo tubes or the vertical launch anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) systems, and also from most ASW aircraft.

Users

The Mark 54 is carried by the US Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. In October 2010, Australia ordered 200 more torpedoes.^[2] In June 2011, it was reported that India might buy 32 MK-54 All-Up-Round Lightweight Torpedoes and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $86 million through US Government's Foreign Military Sales program.^[3]

References

1. ^ http://www.deagel.com/Torpedoes/Mark-54_a000963001.aspx
2. ^ "Team Torpedo: US Firms Sell & Support MK48s and MK54s". http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/team-torpedo-raytheon-partners-to-support-mk48-and-mk54-requirements-02533/. Retrieved 2010-10-12. 
3. ^ "US clears sale of anti-submarine torpedoes to Indian Navy". http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-clears-sale-of-antisubmarine-torpedoes-to-indian-navy/809957/. 

See also

• MU90 Impact

External links

• MK-54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo via FAS
• MK-54 at deagel.com