Superkavitierender Unterwasserlaufkörper
| Superkavitierender Unterwasserlaufkörper lit. Supercavitating Underwater Running Body Formerly known as Barracuda | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Type | Supercavitating torpedo |
| Place of origin |  Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | Prototype-only |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Diehl BGT Defence (now Diehl Defence) |
| Designed | 2005 |
| No. built | ~12[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Engine | Rocket engine |
| Propellant | Solid fuel[1] |
| Maximum speed | 400 km/h (250 mph; 220 kn)[1] |
Guidance system | Inertial measurement unit (IMU),[1] sonar[2] |
Steering system | Actuator-based conical tip[1] |
Launch platform | Submarines, surface vessels[1] |
The Superkavitierender Unterwasserlaufkörper (lit. Supercavitating Underwater Running Body, formerly known as Barracuda) was a German close-range supercavitating torpedo technology demonstrator[1] designed by the Diehl BGT Defence (now Diehl Defence) and developed in cooperation with the German Navy. The supercavitating torpedo for a "close-range defense of underwater targets"[1] was presented to the public in 2005 as a prototype, but it never went into development and procurement.[3] This form of torpedo solves the problem of high underwater drag by means of the supercavitation effect,[1][3] where underwater at a velocity of around 180 km/h (110 mph; 97 kn) a cavity filled with steam surrounds the moving object.[3] Only the tip is in contact with the water,[3] as such the frictional resistance is greatly reduced.[3] The propulsion of such a torpedo can no longer be done by a propeller but requires a rocket engine. Guidance is based on an inertial measurement unit (IMU)[1] and a sonar antenna array integrated into the structure of the cavitation-forming conical tip located in the head section of the torpedo.[2] Steering is performed by an autopilot that pivots this conical tip using actuators.[1][2] If the torpedo rises or falls, the water pressure acting on it also changes, and the cavitation bubble changes. When sinking, the water pressure increases and the bubble is compressed; when the torpedo rises, the pressure drops and the bubble gets bigger. To maintain the integrity of the bubble in response to increasing water pressure, the torpedo begins to pump a greater volume of gas.[citation needed] According to the manufacturer, the torpedo reaches a speed of over 400 km/h (250 mph; 220 kn) underwater.[1] It is not dependent on the launch from submarines but can dive into the water from the air and continue its supercavitation trip from there.
See also
VA-111 Shkval — comparable Soviet torpedo from 1977.
Hoot — Iranian model reverse-engineered from the Soviet Shkval.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Präzise Wirkung gegen Seeziele" [Accurate action against sea targets]. Diehl BGT Defence (in Deutsch). Archived from the original on 2009-08-25.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Слюсар, В.И. (2009). Электроника в борьбе с терроризмом: защита гаваней. Часть 2 [Electronics in the fight against terrorism. Part 2] (PDF). Электроника: наука, технология, бизнес (in українська) (6): 90–95. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Hegmann, Gerhard (2016-07-03). "In unter einer Stunde den Atlantik durchqueren?" [In less than an hour across the Atlantic?]. DIE WELT (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2022-09-03.