The Most Advanced U.S. Navy Heavyweight Torpedo
The MK 48 Mod 7 CBASS torpedo is the U.S. Navy’s most capable and potent anti-surface and anti-submarine weapon in use aboard U.S. Navy and allied submarines today and has been designed to be exceedingly lethal and effective against threats operating in deep and shallow waters. The broadband sonar enhancement makes the torpedo more effective against emerging submarine classes in the harshest of acoustic environments. The CBASS torpedo also has the ability of multiband operation.
MK 48 Guidance and Control Section
Lockheed Martin provides the U.S. Navy the latest advancements in sonar systems for guidance and control systems for the MK 48 Mod 7 torpedo. The Lockheed Martin guidance and control systems will equip the heavyweight torpedoes with increased bandwidth and streamlined targeting and tracking capabilities. These systems will optimize the MK 48’s effectiveness as well as provide advanced counter-measure capabilities.
Lockheed Martin provides fully integrated guidance and control sections to increase the inventory of MK 48 torpedoes over several years. The expectation is that the production orders will range with the potential for more than 250 torpedoes over the next five years for the U.S. Navy, which are used by all classes of submarines as their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) weapon.
The guidance and control systems for MK 48 torpedoes include the same section of the Navy’s existing heavyweight torpedoes that Lockheed Martin is upgrading under the MK 48 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) awarded by the U.S. Navy in 2011. Lockheed Martin delivers to the U.S. Navy at least 20 Mod 7 CBASS kits per month and is on track to deliver all kits on schedule. Lockheed Martin also performs work intermediate maintenance of these torpedoes for fleet training, giving the Navy a critical combat advantage.
MK 48 MOD 7 CBASS – Advanced Heavyweight Torpedo Performance
Against Complex Threats in Harsh Environments
Reliability and Supportability
Interoperability
Enhanced Acoustic Processing
The MK 48 is designed for:
• Active and/or passive homing; Advanced counter countermeasure capabilities.
• High effectiveness against low-Doppler shallow submarines, fast deep diving submarines and high-performance surface ships.
• Autonomous fire-and-forget operation or wire-guide capability to allow post-launch monitoring and updates via the submarine combat system.
• Otto Fuel II as the propellant is an inexpensive and safe alternative to other fuels and electric propulsion.
Providing Reliable Capability Today and Into the Future
The MK 48 Mod 7 CBASS utilizes modern commercial-off the-shelf technologies in an open-architecture computing environment, and is able to remain at technology’s cutting edge through regular hardware and software upgrades. Further, the improved capabilities provided by the MK 48 Mod 7 CBASS “kit” builds upon more than 30 years of U.S. Navy MK 48 torpedo experience. The MK 48 Mod 7 CBASS kit’s evolutionary design and modular nature makes the upgrade of older version MK 48 torpedoes to the Mod 7 CBASS capability a relatively straight forward effort without requiring significant torpedo redesign and certification.
MK 48 Physical Specifications |
|
| Weight | 3,500 lbs (1, 676 kg) |
| Length | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Diameter | 21 inches (53 cm) |
| Maximum Depth | > 1,200 ft |
| Effective | > 5 miles |
| Speed | > 28 knots |
| Guidance System | Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System |
| Warhead | 650-lb (292.5 kg) high explosive |
| Propulsion | Otto Fuel II Piston Engine |
Additional Information
Media and Press Inquiries
Maggie Mahla
+1 (202) 770-5303
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