The domestic torpedo "Shkval", known as the fastest in the world, will be modernized for new goals and objectives, said the general designer of the specialized plant "Dagdizel" (Dagestan), the first chairman of the Russian scientific council on torpedo building, academician Shamil Aliyev.

It's impossible. This is contrary to all the laws of physics. This is not technically feasible. Scientists all over the world thought so. But the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute denied their opinion.

“One of the unresolved issues that I am working on now is the design of the hydrodynamic appearance of the future Shkval-type torpedo, the determination of the boundary between air and water in the cavity. When we define it, then we can "load" it. We will understand what the payload can be. The hydrodynamic appearance means the basis for the layout of the underwater missile, its capabilities, ”Aliyev said.

As an example, he said that when the world realized that the effectiveness of "Shkval" was "nightmarish", they began to try to make it manageable, RIA Novosti reports.

“For example, the American analogue of Shkvala involves putting on a special multi-layer sensor“ skirt ”. That is, several “skirts” -sensors are put on the torpedo along the body, which receive signals from operators, and depending on the command, the torpedo can change its course, ”the academician said.

The first "Shkval" was created in the 50s of the XX century, these torpedoes are capable of going under water in an air cavity at a speed of up to 500 km / h (depending on the density of the aquatic environment) (!!! - sgerr).

In June, the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Caspian Dagdizel plant, after negotiations with the acting head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov, agreed to conclude a contract for 5 billion rubles.

In March, it became known about the initiation of a criminal case due to Dagdizel's failure to fulfill the state contract for the supply and modernization of military missiles for 2 billion 700 million rubles.

Dagdizel is one of the oldest and largest factories in Dagestan, founded in 1932. In Soviet times, it was considered one of the leading diesel and torpedo factories in the USSR. Since 2008 it has been a member of the Marine Underwater Weapons - Gidropribor Concern.

The company is engaged in the development and production of naval underwater weapons for the Navy, the creation of industrial and marine diesel engines, diesel power plants for land and marine purposes, the manufacture of valves for ventilation and air conditioning systems for ships, ships and boats, as well as various machines for agricultural, construction and food purposes.

The first "Shkval" appeared in the USSR in the 60s. It was put into service in November 1977 as part of the Shkval complex. High speed is achieved by equipping the torpedo missile with a unique jet engine powered by liquid metal fuel.

This multipurpose high-speed submarine missile is designed to engage surface and underwater targets. Targeting is carried out according to the coordinates of the target entered in advance in its control system, which guarantees its 100% noise immunity. The foreign analogue is the Barracuda anti-submarine torpedo, created in Germany in mid-2005.

The Shkval missile can be used by standard surface and underwater torpedo tubes. Effective firing range - 7 km, cruising range - up to 10 km. The minimum permissible firing range is 0.5 km. Underwater launch depth - up to 30 m. Warhead - high-explosive, weight - not less than 210 kg.

P.S. Industrial recovery is good. What is in Dagestan is doubly good.

Blog of the user sger АШ.

And one more opinion. Not an expert, I will not comment.

Is there a torpedo more dangerous than the Shkval?

At the turn of the 1960s and 70s, experimental developments appeared in the Soviet Union on the topic of heavy torpedoes aimed at the wake of enemy ships.
Around the same time, when asked by a war correspondent: "How are you going to protect aircraft carriers from Russian super-torpedoes?" one of the high-ranking representatives of the US Navy gave a simple and laconic answer: "Let's put a cruiser in the wake of each aircraft carrier."

Thus, the Yankees recognized the absolute vulnerability of aircraft carrier groups to Soviet torpedo weapons and chose the best, in their opinion, option of two evils: to use their own cruiser as a "human shield".

Actually, there was not much to choose from the US Navy - the 11-meter 65-76 "Kit" ammunition of 650 mm caliber, better known as the "Soviet fat torpedo", left the American sailors no choice. This is inevitable death. A dexterous and long "arm" that allowed to hold the "potential enemy" fleet by the throat.

The Soviet Navy has prepared for the enemy a "farewell surprise" - two alternative endings of a naval battle: to get half a ton of TNT on board and fall into the bottomless depths of the sea, tumbling and choking in the cold water, or find quick death in a thermonuclear flame (half of the "long torpedoes "Equipped with SBCH).

The phenomenon of torpedo weapons

Every time, referring to the topic of confrontation between the USSR Navy and the US Navy, the authors and participants in the discussions for some reason forget that in addition to the existence of anti-ship cruise missiles, in naval war there is one more specific means - a mine and torpedo weapon (Combat Unit-3 according to the organization of the domestic Navy).

Modern torpedoes pose no less (and further great) danger that supersonic anti-ship missiles - primarily, due to their increased stealth and powerful warhead, 2-3 times the mass of warheads of anti-ship missiles. The torpedo is less dependent on weather conditions and can be used in conditions of strong waves and heavy gusts of wind. In addition, an attacking torpedo is much more difficult to destroy or "knock off course" by jamming - despite all efforts to counter torpedo weapons, designers regularly propose new guidance schemes that devalue all previous efforts to create "anti-torpedo" barriers.

Unlike damage caused by an anti-ship missile strike, where such problems as “fire fighting” and “damage control” are still relevant, a meeting with a torpedo poses a simple question for the unfortunate sailors: where are the life rafts and inflatable vests? - ships of the class "destroyer" or "cruiser" are simply broken in half by the explosion of conventional torpedoes.

The decommissioned Australian frigate was destroyed by the Mark.48 torpedo (warhead weight - 295 kg)

The reason for the terrible destructive effect of the torpedo is obvious - water is an incompressible medium, and all the energy of the explosion is directed into the hull. Damage in the underwater part does not bode well for sailors and, as a rule, lead to the quick death of the ship.
Finally, the torpedo is the main weapon of submarines, and this makes it an especially dangerous means of naval combat.

Russian answer

During the Cold War, a very absurd and ambiguous situation developed at sea. The American fleet, thanks to carrier-based aircraft and advanced air defense systems, managed to create an exceptional naval air defense system, which made American squadrons practically invulnerable to air attack weapons.

The Russians did in the best traditions of Sun Tzu. The ancient Chinese treatise "The Art of War" says: go where they are least expected, attack where you are less prepared. Indeed, why "climb on the pitchfork" of carrier-based fighters and modern anti-aircraft systems, if you can hit from under the water?

In this case, the AUG loses its main trump card - the submarines are completely indifferent to how many interceptors and early warning aircraft are on the Nimitz's decks. And the use of torpedo weapons will make it possible to avoid encounters with formidable air defense systems.

Multipurpose nuclear-powered ship project 671RTM (K)

The Yankees appreciated the Russian humor and began frantically to seek means to prevent underwater attacks. They succeeded in something - by the beginning of the 1970s, it became clear that a torpedo attack by the AUG with the available means was fraught with mortal risk. The Yankees organized a continuous ASW zone within a radius of 20 miles from the aircraft carrier order, where the main role was assigned to the underkeeping sonars of the escort ships and the ASROC anti-submarine rocket torpedoes. The detection range of the most advanced American sonar AN / SQS-53 was up to 10 miles in active mode (line of sight); in passive mode up to 20-30 miles. The firing range of the ASROC complex did not exceed 9 kilometers.

The "dead sectors" under the bottoms of the ships were reliably covered by multipurpose nuclear submarines, and somewhere far in the ocean, tens of miles from the marching squadron, anti-submarine helicopters and specialized aircraft "Viking" and "Orion" were continuously searching.

Sailors from the aircraft carrier "George W. Bush" release a towed anti-torpedo trap AN / SLQ-25 Nixie overboard

In addition, the Americans took decisive measures to counter the fired torpedoes: the float of the AN / SLQ-15 Nixie towed noise trap "dangled" behind the stern of each ship, which made the use of torpedoes with passive guidance on the noise of enemy ships' propellers ineffective.

Analyzing the current situation, the Soviet sailors rightly judged that the chance of being detected by anti-submarine aircraft is relatively small - any AUG, convoy or detachment of warships is unlikely to be able to constantly keep more than 8-10 vehicles in the air. Too small to control tens of thousands of square kilometers of the surrounding body of water.

The main thing is not to look out for the sonars of the escort cruisers and nuclear submarines of the US Navy. In this case, torpedoes must be fired from a distance of at least 40 ... 50 kilometers (≈20 ... 30 nautical miles). There were no problems with detection and target designation - the roar of the propellers of large ship formations was clearly audible from a hundred kilometers away.

Heavy torpedo 65-76 "Kit". Length - 11.3 m.Diameter - 650 mm. Weight - 4.5 tons. Speed ​​- 50 knots. (sometimes up to 70 knots are indicated). The cruising range is 50 km at 50 knots or 100 km at 35 knots. Warhead weight - 557 kg. Guidance is carried out on the wake

Having decided on the choice of weapons, the sailors turned to industry representatives for help and were quite surprised by the answer they received. It turned out that the Soviet military-industrial complex was acting in advance and had been developing "long-range" torpedoes since 1958. Of course, the special capabilities required special technical solutions - the dimensions of the super-torpedo went beyond the usual 533 mm torpedo tubes. At the same time, the achieved speed, firing range and weight of the warhead led the sailors to indescribable delight.

In the hands of the Soviet Navy was the most powerful underwater weapon ever created by man.

65-76 "Whale"

... the 11-meter "arrow" rushes through the water column, scanning the space with the sonar for the presence of irregularities and eddies of the water environment. These eddies are nothing more than a wake - water disturbances that remain behind the stern of a sailing ship. One of the main unmasking factors, the "standing wave" is discernible even many hours after the passage of large naval equipment.

The "fat torpedo" cannot be fooled with the AN / SLQ-25 Nixie or knocked off course using dropable traps - the hellish underwater tracker is oblivious to noise and interference - he only reacts to the ship's wake. In a few minutes, a soulless robot will bring 557 kilograms of TNT as a gift to American sailors.

The crews of American ships are in disarray: a terrible illumination flashed and shone on the sonar screens - a high-speed small-sized target. Until the last moment, it remains unclear: who will get the "main prize"? The Americans have nothing to shoot the torpedo with - there are no weapons on the US Navy ships like our RBU-6000. It is useless to use universal artillery - going at a depth of 15 meters, a "thick torpedo" is difficult to detect on the surface. Small-sized anti-submarine torpedoes Mk. 46 are flying into the water - it's late! the reaction time is too long, the Mk.46 seeker does not have time to capture the target.

Torpedo shot Mk. 46

Here on the aircraft carrier they figure out what to do - the command “Stop car! Full back! ”, But the 100,000-ton ship by inertia continues to stubbornly crawl forward, leaving a traitorous trail behind the stern.
The deafening rumble of an explosion, and the escort cruiser Belknap disappears from the rear of the aircraft carrier. On the left abeam, new fireworks break out - the second explosion tore apart the frigate "Knox". The aircraft carrier realizes with horror that they are next!

At this time, the next two torpedoes rush to the doomed compound - the submarine, having reloaded the devices, sends the Yankees a new gift. In total, the Barracuda's ammunition load contains twelve super-ammunition. One by one, the boat fires off "thick torpedoes" from a distance of fifty kilometers, watching the Yankee ships rushing across the ocean surface. The boat itself is invulnerable to the anti-aircraft weapons of the aircraft carrier group - they are separated by 50 kilometers.

The task is completed!

The position of the American sailors was complicated by the fact that the "thick torpedoes" were included in the ammunition of 60 nuclear-powered ships of the USSR Navy.

The carriers were multipurpose nuclear submarines of projects 671 RT and RTM (K), 945 and 971. Also, the "batons" of the 949 project were equipped with super-torpedoes (yes, dear reader, in addition to the missiles of the P-700 complex, the "baton" could hit a "potential enemy" a dozen torpedoes 65-76 "Kit"). Each of the above submarines had two or four torpedo tubes of 650 mm caliber, the ammunition ranged from 8 to 12 "thick torpedoes" (of course, not counting the usual 533 mm ammunition).

Location of 8 torpedo tubes in the bow of the multipurpose nuclear submarine pr. 971 (code "Shchuka-B")

The "fat torpedo" also had a twin brother - the 65-73 torpedo (as follows from the index, it was created a few years earlier, in 1973). Continuous drive and fire!
Unlike the "intellectual" 65-76, the predecessor was an ordinary "Kuz'ka mother" for the destruction of all living and nonliving in its path. 65-73 were generally indifferent to external interference - the torpedo was traveling in a straight line towards the enemy, guided by the data of the inertial system. Until a 20-kiloton warhead detonated at the calculated point of the route. Anyone within a radius of 1000 meters could safely return to Norfolk and get up for long-term repairs at the dock. Even if the ship did not sink, a nearby nuclear explosion tore out external electronic equipment and antenna devices with "meat", broke the superstructure and crippled the launchers - one could forget about performing any task.

In short, the Pentagon had something to think about.

Torpedo assassin

This is what the legendary 65-76 is called after the tragic events of August 2000. The official version says that the spontaneous explosion of the "thick torpedo" caused the death of the K-141 "Kursk" submarine. At first glance, the version, at least, deserves attention: the 65-76 torpedo is not a baby rattle at all. This is a dangerous weapon with special skills.

Torpedo engine 65-76

One of the "weak points" of the torpedo was its propulsion unit - an impressive firing range was achieved using a hydrogen peroxide engine. And this means gigantic pressures, violently reacting components and the potential for the onset of an involuntary reaction of an explosive nature. As an argument, supporters of the "thick torpedo" version of the explosion cite the fact that all "civilized" countries of the world have abandoned torpedoes powered by hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes from the lips of "democratically minded specialists" one has to hear such an absurd statement that the "beggar scoop" allegedly created a torpedo on a peroxide-hydrogen mixture just out of a desire to "save money" and the history of the appearance of "thick torpedoes").

Nevertheless, most Moremans, who are not by hearsay familiar with this torpedo system, question the official point of view. There are two reasons for this.

Without going into the details of the strict instructions and prescriptions for storing, loading and firing "thick torpedoes", naval experts note that the reliability of the system was very high (how high the reliability of a modern combat torpedo can be). 65-76 had a dozen fuses and serious "foolproof" - it was necessary to perform some completely inadequate actions to activate the components of the torpedo's fuel mixture.

For a quarter of a century of operation of this system on 60 nuclear submarines of the USSR Navy, there were no difficulties and problems with the operation of this weapon.

The second argument sounds no less serious - who and how determined that the “fat torpedo” was the culprit of the boat's death? After all, the torpedo compartment of the Kursk was cut off and destroyed at the bottom by subversive charges. Why did you even need to saw off the nose? I'm afraid we won't know the answer soon.

As for the statement about the worldwide rejection of hydrogen peroxide torpedoes, this is also a delusion. Developed in 1984, the Swedish heavy torpedo Tr613, powered by a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ethanol, is still in service with the Swedish Navy and the Norwegian Navy. And no problem!

Forgotten hero

In the same year, when the destroyed Kursk submarine sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea, a major spy scandal erupted in Russia over the theft of state secrets - a certain US citizen Edward Pope tried to secretly acquire documentation for the Shkval submarine torpedo missile. So the Russian public learned about the existence of underwater weapons capable of developing a speed of 200+ knots (370 km / h) under water. The inhabitants liked the high-speed underwater system so much that any mention of the Shkval rocket torpedo in the media causes an equally flurry of admiring responses and joyful declarations of love for this “miracle weapon”, which has no analogues.

The high-speed rocket torpedo "Shkval" is a cheap rattle in comparison with the "Soviet fat torpedo" 65-76. The glory of the Shkval is undeserved - the torpedo is completely useless as a weapon, and its combat value tends to zero.

Shkval submarine missile. Interesting thing, but completely useless

Unlike the 65-76, which beats 50 or more kilometers, the Shkval's firing range does not exceed 7 km (the new modification is 13 km). Few, very few. In modern naval combat, reaching such a distance is an extremely difficult and risky task. The warhead of the rocket torpedo is almost 3 times lighter. But the main "snag" in this whole story - "Flurry", due to its high speed, is an unguided weapon, and the probability of its hitting even a weakly maneuvering target is close to 0%, especially considering that the "Flurry" attack is devoid of any stealth. An underwater missile moving on a combat course is easy to spot - and no matter how fast the Shkval is, during the time it covers 10 km, the ship will have time to change course and move a considerable distance from the calculated aiming point. It is not hard to imagine what will happen in this case to the submarine that released the "Shkval" - a distinct trail of the missile-torpedo will clearly indicate the location of the submarine.

In short, the wonder weapon "Shkval" is another fruit of journalistic fantasies and philistine imagination. At the same time, the Real Hero is a "Soviet fat torpedo", at the very mention of which the knees of NATO sailors trembled, was unfairly slandered and buried under the weight of the past years.

In connection with the disaster of the nuclear submarine "Kursk", it was decided to remove the torpedo 65-76 "Kit" from the armament of the Russian Navy. This is a very dubious and unjustified decision, probably not made without prompting from our "Western partners". Now no "Shkval" can replace the lost combat capabilities of submarines.

Despite the rapid development of scientific and technological progress, torpedoes, like a hundred years ago, remain one of the main types of weapons in the navy. Moreover, torpedo weapons are the main means of defending and attacking submarines, and they also remain the main tool in combating the underwater threat.

The first samples of torpedoes appeared in the second half of the 19th century; it was thanks to this weapon that the First World War became the "finest hour" for submarines.

Torpedoes were continuously improved, becoming faster, "smarter" and deadlier. But fundamentally, little has changed in their design: the majority of torpedoes are a self-propelled underwater vehicle of a cylindrical shape, which moves due to propellers.

For several decades, torpedoes were practically the only weapon of submarines, the situation changed only in the second half of the 20th century, when submarines turned into floating launch sites for ballistic and cruise missiles.

This article will discuss a very unusual rocket-torpedo "Shkval", which is in service with the Russian Navy.

A bit of history

According to Russian historiography, the project of the first torpedo was developed by the Russian designer Aleksandrovsky in 1865. However, it was recognized as premature and was not embodied in Russia.

The first operational torpedo was created by the Englishman Robert Whitehead in 1866, and in 1877 this weapon was first used in combat conditions. In the next decades, torpedo weapons are actively developing, even a special class of ships appears - destroyers, whose main armament is torpedoes.

Torpedoes were actively used during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, most of the Russian ships in the Battle of Tsushima were sunk by Japanese destroyers.

The first torpedoes operated on compressed air or had a steam-gas power plant, which made their use less effective. Such a torpedo left behind a well-visible trail of gas bubbles, which gave the attacked ship the opportunity to dodge it.

After the First World War, the development of a torpedo with an electric motor began, but it turned out to be very difficult to make. They were able to bring this idea to life only in Germany before the start of the next world war.

Modern torpedoes pose a serious threat to any surface ship and submarine. They develop speeds of up to 60-70 knots, can hit targets at a distance of more than one hundred kilometers, and are guided using sonar or using the physical characteristics of the vessel. Also widespread are torpedoes, which are guided over a special fiber optic from a surface ship or submarine.

In the 60s of the last century, the development of an unusual torpedo "Shkval" began in the USSR, which was radically different from any analogues. The development of this project was carried out by Research Institute No. 24 (State Research and Production Enterprise "Region"). A year later, trials began on Lake Issyk-Kul, and it took more than ten years to refine the product.

In 1977, the rocket-torpedo was put into service, at first it had a nuclear warhead with a capacity of 150 kt, then the torpedo received a warhead with a conventional explosive. She is still in service with the Russian Navy.

An export version, Shkval-E, was produced in Russia. Its cost is $ 6 million.

There is information about the creation of a new, more advanced modification of the rocket torpedo, which has a longer range and a more powerful warhead. It should be noted that information about the "Shkval" is quite small, many of the information is still secret.

It must also be said that opinions about this torpedo (or rather, about the effectiveness of its use) are very different. The press usually speaks of the "Shkval" as a super-weapon, but many experts do not support this point of view, considering the "Shkval" useless in real combat conditions.

For the first time, the public learned about the existence of a unique high-speed torpedo in Russia after a spy scandal involving US citizen Edmund Pope, who allegedly wanted to withdraw the blueprints of this weapon from Russia.

The main unique difference between Shkval and other torpedoes is its incredible speed: it is capable of developing more than 200 knots under water. It is very difficult to achieve such indicators in the aquatic environment, which has a high density.

The highlight of the "Shkval" is its engine: if a conventional torpedo moves forward due to the rotation of the propellers, then the "Shkval" uses a jet engine as a power plant. However, for the development of such an inconceivable speed under water, a jet propulsion unit is not enough. To achieve such high-speed performance "Shkval" uses the effect of supercavitation, while moving around the torpedo, an air bubble appears, which significantly reduces the resistance of the external environment.

Description of device and motor

"Shkval" has a jet engine, it consists of a starting booster, which accelerates the torpedo, and a propulsion engine, which delivers it to the target.

The cruise engine of the torpedo is a hydrojet direct-flow, for its operation it uses metals that react with water (magnesium, lithium, aluminum), and seawater as an oxidizer.

When the torpedo speed reaches 80 m / s, an air cavitation bubble begins to form near its bow, which significantly reduces the hydrodynamic resistance. But speed alone is not enough: on the nose of the Shkval there is a special device - a cavitator, through which additional pressurization of gases from a special gas generator takes place. This is how a cavitation cavity is formed, which envelops the entire torpedo body.

"Shkval" does not have a homing head (GOS), target coordinates are entered just before launch. The torpedo turns are carried out due to the rudders and the deflection of the cavitator head.

Advantages and disadvantages

Undoubtedly, the Shkval rocket-torpedo is a unique technical product developed by specialists from various fields of knowledge. To create it, it was necessary to create new materials, to design an engine operating on other principles, to study the phenomenon of cavitation as applied to jet propulsion. But is a weapon with so many revolutionary characteristics effective?

The main advantage of the Shkval is its amazing speed, but it is also the main reason for its shortcomings.

These include the following:

• high noise level;
• the cavitation bubble makes it impossible to control the torpedo and its homing;
• short range of the torpedo: on old versions up to 7 km, on new ones it was increased to 13 km;
• insufficient maximum immersion depth of the torpedo (no more than 30 m), which makes it ineffective for destroying submarines;
• low accuracy.

As you can see from the above, "Shkval" has a large number of limitations that make it difficult to use effectively. It is extremely difficult for a submarine to approach the enemy at 7-13 km. Launching a torpedo, which makes a "hellish" noise, is almost guaranteed to give out the location of the submarine and put it on the brink of destruction.

Currently, the torpedo weapons of the leading naval powers are developing in a slightly different way. Torpedoes with remote control (via cable) with increasing range and firing accuracy are being developed. In addition, the designers are working to reduce the noise of torpedo weapons.

This concept can be compared to the use of a sniper rifle on the battlefield, where one accurate shot from a long distance is everything.

Foreign analogues

When mentioning the Shkval torpedo, it is always emphasized that only Russia has such a weapon. For a long time it was so. But in 2005, representatives of the German company Diehl BGT Defense announced the creation of a new supercavitation torpedo "Barracuda".

According to the developers, its speed is so high that it overtakes its own sound waves propagating in the water. Therefore, it is very difficult to find it. In addition, "Barracuda" is equipped with the latest homing system, and the movement of the torpedo can be controlled (unlike the Russian torpedo). There is not enough information about this torpedo in open sources.

Video about the torpedo "Shkval"

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

The creation of a rocket-torpedo begins with a 1960 decree of SV No. 111-463. The main designer of the rocket-torpedo is Research Institute No. 24, today known as the State Research and Production Enterprise "Region". The sketch of the project was prepared by 1963, at the same time the project was approved for development. Design data of the new torpedo:
- range of application up to 20 kilometers;
- speed on the march is almost 200 knots (100 meters per second);
- unification for standard TA;

The principle of using the "Shkval"
The application of this underwater missile is as follows: the carrier (ship, coastal launcher), upon detecting an underwater or surface object, works out the characteristics of speed, distance, direction of movement, after which the received information is sent to the autopilot of the rocket-torpedo. What is noteworthy is that the underwater missile does not have a seeker, it simply executes the program that the autopilot sets it. As a result, the missile cannot be distracted from the target by various interference and objects.

High-speed missile torpedo tests
Tests of the first samples of the new rocket-torpedo begin in 1964. The tests are taking place in the waters of Issyk-Kul. In 1966, tests of the "Shkval" began on the Black Sea, near Feodosia, with a diesel submarine S-65. Submarine missiles are constantly being improved. In 1972, another sample with the working designation M-4 could not go through the full test cycle due to malfunctions in the design of the sample. The next sample, which received the working designation M-5, successfully passes the full cycle of tests and by the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1977, under the code VA-111, the torpedo-missile was adopted by the Navy.

Interesting
At the Pentagon at the end of the 70s, as a result of the calculations, scientists proved that high speeds under water are technically impossible. Therefore, the United States military department treated the incoming information about the development in the Soviet Union of a high-speed torpedo from various intelligence sources as planned disinformation. And the Soviet Union at this time was quietly completing the tests of the rocket-torpedo. Today "Shkval" is recognized by all military experts as having no analogues in the world, and has been in service with the Soviet-Russian Navy for almost a quarter of a century.

The principle of operation and the device of the underwater missile "Shkval"
In the middle of the last century, Soviet scientists and designers created a completely new type of weaponry - high-speed cavitating underwater missiles. An innovation is used - the underwater movement of the object in the mode of developed detachable flow. The meaning of this action is that an air bubble is created around the body of the object (vapor-gas bubble) and, due to the drop in hydrodynamic resistance (water resistance) and the use of jet engines, the required underwater speed is achieved, which is several times higher than the speed of the fastest conventional torpedo.

The use of new technologies in the creation of a high-speed underwater rocket became possible thanks to fundamental research by domestic scientists in the field of:
- body movements with developed cavitation;
- interactions between the cavity and different types of jet jets;
- stability of motion during cavitation.
Research on cavitation in the Soviet Union began to be actively developed in the 40-50s in one of the branches of TsAGI. Academician L. Sedov supervised these studies. G. Logvinovich also took an active part in the research, who later became the scientific leader in the development of the theory of applied solutions on hydrodynamics and cavitation in relation to rockets using the principle of cavitation in motion. As a result of these works and research, Soviet designers and scientists found unique solutions for creating such high-speed submarine missiles.

To provide high-speed underwater movement (about 200 knots), a highly efficient jet engine was also required. Work on the creation of such an engine began in the 1960s. They are under the direction of M. Merkulov. Completes work in the 70s E. Rakov. In parallel with the creation of a unique engine, work is underway to create a unique fuel for it and the design of charges and production technologies for mass production. The propulsion system is a hydrojet ramjet engine. Hydroreactive fuel is used for work. The impulse of this engine was three times higher than the modern rocket engines of the time. It was achieved by using seawater as a working material and an oxidizer, and hydroreactive metals were used as fuel. In addition, an autonomous control system was created for a high-speed submarine missile, which was created under the control of I. Safonov and had a variable structure. ACS uses an innovative way to control the underwater movement of a rocket-torpedo, it is due to the presence of a cavity.

Further development of the rocket-torpedo - an increase in the speed of movement, becomes difficult due to significant hydrodynamic loads on the body of the product, and they cause vibration-type loads on the internal elements of the equipment and the body.

The creation of the Shkval rocket-torpedo required the designers to quickly master new technologies and materials, create unique apparatus and equipment, create new capacities and production facilities, and unite various enterprises in many industries. The leadership of all was carried out by Minister V. Bakhirev with his deputy D. Medvedev. The success of domestic scientists and designers in the embodiment of the latest theories and extraordinary solutions in the world's first high-speed submarine missile was a tremendous achievement of the Soviet Union. This opened up the opportunity for Soviet-Russian science to successfully develop this direction and create promising models of the latest weapons with the highest characteristics of movement and defeat. High-speed cavitating submarine missiles have high combat effectiveness. It is achieved due to the tremendous speed of movement, which ensures the shortest possible time for the missile to reach the target and deliver the warhead to it. The use of missile weapons under water without a seeker significantly complicates the enemy's ability to counter this type of weapon, which makes it possible to use it in the Arctic region under ice, i.e., fully retains the positive aspects of conventional missiles. After being put into service, the Shkval missile-torpedoes significantly increased the combat potential of the Soviet Navy, and after that of the Russian Federation. At one time, an export modification of the high-speed submarine missile "Shkval" - "Shkval-E" was created. The export version was supplied to a number of friendly states.

Additional information - Iranian "Shkval"
In 2006, Iran is conducting exercises in the Oman and Persian Gulfs, which cause "outrage" in NATO military circles. And after testing a high-speed submarine missile, the Pentagon was seriously alarmed and was ready to use the "action of intimidation." But soon there is information that the Iranian high-speed submarine missiles "Hoot" - a copy of the Soviet "Shkval". In all its characteristics and even in appearance, it is the Russian Shkval missile-torpedo. Due to its short range, the missile is not classified as an offensive weapon. But its application in the Oman and Persian Gulfs will be very effective for Iran due to the rather small size of the straits. This weapon will completely block the exit from the Persian Gulf, and in fact most of the oil from the region passes through it. According to some military experts, the Soviet-Russian Shkval missile entered Iran from the PRC. China received the "Flurry" from the Soviet Union back in the 90s.

Main characteristics:
- weight - 2.7 tons;
- caliber - 533.4 mm;
- length - 800 centimeters;
- range up to 13 kilometers;
- marching depth - 6 meters;
- possible launch depth up to 30 meters;
- warhead weight is not less than 210 kilograms;

P.S. Currently, the Shkval submarine missile is not used in the Russian Navy. The "Shkval" can be provided with a nuclear warhead (the weight of a nuclear warhead is 150 kg), which translates the "Shkval" into the class of tactical nuclear weapons.

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In this article, we will tell you about another interesting and unusual page in Russian arms history: the M-5 Shkval rocket torpedo of the VM-111 complex.

A bit of history

The project of the first torpedo was developed by the Russian designer Aleksandrovsky in 1865. However, as is often the case with progressive ideas, it was not appreciated at its true worth, and was not implemented in Russia.

The first operational torpedo was created by the Englishman Robert Whitehead in 1866, and in 1877 this weapon was first used in combat conditions. In the next decades, torpedo weapons are actively developing, even a special class of ships appears - destroyers, whose main armament is torpedoes.

Torpedoes were actively used during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, most of the Russian ships in the Battle of Tsushima were sunk by Japanese destroyers.

The first torpedoes operated on compressed air or had a steam-gas power plant, which made their use less effective. Such a torpedo left behind a well-visible trail of gas bubbles, which gave the attacked ship the opportunity to detect it in advance and dodge it.

After the First World War, the development of a torpedo with an electric motor began, thanks to which the unmasking factor in the form of gas bubbles disappeared, but it turned out to be very difficult to make it. They were able to bring this idea to life only in Germany before the start of the Second World War. In general, the use of both steam-gas and electric torpedoes played a rather big role in that War.

Development start

The rapid growth in the post-war period in the tactical and technical characteristics of diesel-electric (and later nuclear) submarines (speed, depth of immersion, range of hydroacoustic targeting, etc.) led to the fact that the effectiveness of torpedo weapons and bombing used earlier for the destruction of submarines became insufficient. It became clear that in order to achieve new outstanding results, fundamentally different developments are required. This was the impetus for the design of new types of combat assets, providing a sharp decrease in the delivery time of the charge to the target and an increase in the accuracy of fire. The corresponding problem was foreseen back in the late 1940s by employees of the Moscow branch of TsAGI under the leadership of Academician Leonid Sedov (1907 - 1999), as well as Navy specialists, and above all, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR Georgy Logvinovich. For emerging problems, they proposed unique theoretical, experimental and design solutions for hydrodynamic schemes of underwater missiles with variable geometry controls that perform the functions of forming a cavity (gas shell of a torpedo as a result of the phenomenon of supercavitation) and controlling the movement of the charge.

Reference: Cavitation (from Latin cavita - void) is the process of vaporization and subsequent condensation of vapor bubbles in a liquid stream, accompanied by noise and hydraulic shocks, the formation of cavities in the liquid (cavitation bubbles, or cavities) filled with the vapor of the liquid itself, in which the cavity arises.

In the 60s of the last century, the USSR began to develop an unusual torpedo "Shkval", which was radically different from all previous types of torpedoes. The availability of ready-made developments led to the fact that a year after the discovery of the research topic, tests began on Lake Issyk-Kul, but the completion of the product took more than ten long years.

The main unique difference between Shkval and other torpedoes is its monstrous speed: it is capable of developing more than 200 knots under water (more than 100 meters per second or about 370 kilometers per hour, which is faster than a Formula 1 racing car!). It is very difficult to achieve such indicators in the aquatic environment, which has a high density.

If an ordinary torpedo moves forward due to the rotation of the propellers, then a special engine has become the highlight of the Shkval as a power plant.

To achieve high technical characteristics of torpedoes with speeds of more than 100 m / s under water, it is necessary to use a highly efficient jet engine powered by energy-intensive fuel. The ramjet hydrojet engine (PRHRD) met all the requirements most fully as a power plant: its specific impulse was 2.5 - 3 times higher than that of all known steam-gas or electric torpedoes. This was achieved due to the use of seawater as a working fluid and oxidizer, and the fact that hydroreactive metals (magnesium, lithium, aluminum) were used as fuel. In general, "Shkval" had two engines: a launching accelerator, which ejected a torpedo from the torpedo tube and accelerated it to a speed of 80 meters per second, and a main engine, which delivered the torpedo to the target.

However, for the development of such an inconceivable speed under water, a jet propulsion unit is not enough. To achieve such high-speed performance, "Shkval" uses the effect of supercavitation: while moving around the torpedo, an air bubble appears, which significantly reduces the resistance of the external environment. For this, on the nose of the "Shkval" there is a special device - a cavitator, through which additional pressurization of gases from a special gas generator takes place. This is how the cavitation cavity is formed, which envelops the entire torpedo body.

In 1977, the rocket torpedo was put into service. Initially, the torpedo could only be equipped with a nuclear warhead with a capacity of 150 kt, but then a warhead with a conventional explosive was also designed. It should be noted that information about the "Shkval" is quite small, many of the information is still secret.

Modern opinions about the effectiveness of the use of this torpedo are very different. The press usually speaks of the "Shkval" as a super-weapon, but many experts do not support this point of view, considering the "Shkval" useless in real combat conditions. The fact is that the "Shkval" does not have a homing head (GOS), since the bow is occupied by the systems of the gas cavitator, and it also receives outboard water for the main propeller through it. Therefore, the coordinates of the target are entered into the memory of the torpedo immediately before launch. The torpedo turns are carried out according to a previously entered program due to the rudders and the deflection of the cavitator head.

The main advantage of the Shkval is its amazing speed, but it is also the main reason for its shortcomings. And they are significant:

• Due to its tremendous speed (200 knots), the torpedo produces a lot of noise and vibration, which unmasks the submarine.
  The short launch range (up to 13 km in total) strongly unmasks the submarine.
  The maximum travel depth (up to 30 m) does not allow hitting enemy submarines at great depths.
  The momentum of a hydrojet ramjet engine is higher than that of other engines, which can cause damage to the sonar of the submarine.
  The bow of the torpedo does not allow installing a homing head on it - outboard water enters through the bow.
  Low probability of hitting a target with a conventional warhead, and without a homing head

As you can see from the above, "Shkval" has a large number of limitations that make it difficult to use effectively. It is extremely difficult for a submarine to approach the enemy at 7-13 km. Launching a torpedo, which makes a "hellish" noise, is almost guaranteed to give out the location of the submarine and put it on the brink of destruction.

Currently, the torpedo weapons of the leading naval powers are developing in a slightly different way. Torpedoes with remote control (via cable) with increasing range and firing accuracy are being developed. In addition, the designers are working to reduce the noise of torpedo weapons.

Foreign analogues

When mentioning the Shkval torpedo, it is always emphasized that only Russia has such a weapon. For a long time it was so. But in 2005, representatives of the German company Diehl BGT Defense announced the creation of a new supercavitation torpedo "Barracuda".

According to the developers, its speed is so high that it overtakes its own sound waves propagating in the water. Therefore, it is very difficult to find it. In addition, the "Barracuda" is equipped with the latest homing system, and the movement of the torpedo can be controlled (unlike the Soviet torpedo). There is practically no information about this torpedo in open sources.

TTX rocket torpedo M-5 "Shkval":
Caliber - 533.4 mm
Length - 8200 mm
Weight - 2700 kg
Warhead weight - 210 kg
Travel range - 7 km (effective) and 10-11 km (maximum)
Travel speed up to 200 knots / 100 m / s
Stroke depth 6 m
Launch depth up to 30 m
Acceptable turn angle sector 40 degrees

Now there is information about the creation in Russia of a new, more advanced modification of a guided rocket torpedo, which has a larger radius of action and a more powerful warhead, but detailed information is also lacking.

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From 1942 to 1945, during the battles in the Pacific, American aircraft carrier groups were constantly subjected to air raids from the Imperial Japanese Air Force. As statistics show, aircraft carriers were often destroyed by bombing and kamikazes, rather than heavy cruisers sunk by torpedo attacks and artillery from the Japanese.

Taking into account the experience of the Second World War, American minds came to the conclusion: it is necessary to develop air defense systems and aviation to protect their aircraft carrier groups.

In the impending cold war, Soviet engineers also took into account the experience, only not their own, but the American one. Why climb on an anti-aircraft pitchfork when you can hit from under the water ... With approximately these thoughts in the depths of domestic research institutes began work on advanced weapons for submarines, later, including work on the M-5 "Shkval" torpedo.

History of creation

From the end of the 40s to the 60s, the development, research, testing of torpedoes and engines for them, from Ladoga to Issyk-Kul, was carried out by various institutes. The main initiators of the idea were the candidates LI Sedov and GV Logvinovich, professors of various fields of knowledge and specialists of the Navy.

The idea was as follows - to create a high-speed torpedo, from which it would be impossible to escape by maneuvering a large ship.

In October 60th, after the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, work began on the creation of a torpedo moving at a speed of 100 m / s (approximately 360 km / h or 195-200 nautical knots). The speed of conventional torpedoes is no more than 20-25 m / s (60-70 km / h or 40-50 nautical knots).

The development was entrusted to NII-24 (now GNPP - "Region") under the leadership of IL Merkulov. Information about work on such a project in the USSR reached Western "friends", but it did not produce any effect other than laughing at the naivete of Soviet engineers.

The development of weapons of this level is a high-tech work, ahead of its time by decades, as the United States believed.

To create such a weapon, it was required to combine the efforts of various industries, research new technologies, develop new engines and fuel for them, study fundamentally new physical phenomena in the underwater environment.

After a colossal amount of work, from 1964 to 72, the Soviet M-4 submarine missile was tested. Design errors led to the need to modernize this sample. In 1977, the world's first rocket-propelled torpedo M-5 undergoes a cycle of state tests. The Shkval missile-torpedo is used by the USSR Navy under the designation VA-111.

At this time, scientists from the United States are also making progress in this area - they prove that high torpedo speeds under water (in particular, up to 100 m / s) are theoretically possible.

Western submarines were already built using Stealth technologies and had an advantage in stealth over their domestic counterparts. The Soviet submarine fleet, to some extent, equalized the chances of arming their submarines with high-speed torpedoes.

Zest at 150 kilotons and torpedo design

Speed ​​and motor

General description of the external ballistics of the torpedo: high speed is provided by a jet engine, and water resistance (1000 times more than resistance in air) is overcome thanks to an air "cocoon" that envelops the entire hull (8.2 m in length). It follows from this that this is an ordinary rocket floating under water.

There are two engines: acceleration and sustainer.

The booster (starting) works for 4 seconds on liquid fuel, takes the missile out of the torpedo tube, and then undocks.

The march enters the work - it reaches cruising speed and delivers the cargo to its destination. Solid fuel - metals (lithium, magnesium, aluminum) that react with an oxidizing catalyst - water. The huge noise of the fired torpedo is one of the main drawbacks, immediately revealing the submarine.

An air “cocoon” (cavity) is a gas envelope created by a special gas generator. Gas is released onto the body and distributed by a cavitator located in front of the torpedo “head”.

I see a purpose, but I do not see obstacles

As a navigation system, a program is used that is set immediately before the launch of the torpedo.

Following the assigned coordinates of the target, the weapon moves following the route and maneuvering with four small rudders.

On the way, she cannot be distracted by any interference and devices - she floats wherever she was told and that's all. The lack of a homing system is the second major disadvantage.

Surprise under the board

As a warhead, 210 kg of conventional explosives or nuclear explosives of 150 kilotons are used. The detonation of a nuclear warhead, even near an enemy ship (within a radius of 1000 m), bears grave consequences.

Namely, the destruction of external deck devices, light weapons from the shock wave and the likelihood of damage from an electromagnetic pulse. After such an attack, you should go, if not to the bottom, then at least for repairs.

Feasibility of launch

The cost of launching a torpedo will include not only the production of the torpedo itself, but also the submarine and the value of the entire crew. The range is 14 km - this is the first major drawback.

In modern naval combat, launching from such a distance is suicidal torpedoing for the crew of a submarine. Of course, only a destroyer or a frigate is capable of dodging the "fan" of launched shells, but it is unlikely to escape from the attack site, in the coverage area of ​​an aircraft carrier and carrier-based aircraft escort.

TTX weapons

• Caliber for a standard torpedo tube: 533 mm;
• Length: 8200 mm;
• Weight: 2700 kg;
• Warhead weight: 210 kg;
• Speed: 200 knots (100 m / s, or 360 km / h);
• The range of action differs in sources: from 11 to 14 km
• Launch depth: 30 m;
• Immersion depth: 6 m.

Modifications

• M-4 - unsuccessful sample, (1972);
• M-5 - a good option (1975);
• VA-111 "Shkval" - the basic version of the complex with the M-5 torpedo (1977);
• VA-111E "Shkval-E" - export version (1992);
• "Shkval-M" - a torpedo with a homing system, with a warhead of 350 kg, (classified, almost no information, 2010);
• Shkval-M2 (classified) - (2013).

Epilogue

The weapon was classified until a spy scandal in 2000 with an attempt to steal the blueprints. To this day, many details have not been disclosed.

According to open data, there are no analogues in service, but development has been underway since the late 80s. The Shkval submarine missile, today, is most likely taken off alert due to its shortcomings, which cannot be overcome.

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