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2020-07-05
Saab Readies a Torpedo to Meet Tomorrow’s Needs
The Baltic Sea is one of the most demanding marine environments on Earth. Just 70 metres deep on average, its brackish waters are crowded with rocks, islands, and small caves that make naval operations here extremely challenging. Saab is currently developing its new lightweight torpedo system in the tough and demanding environment of the Baltic Sea, situated off Sweden’s east coast, which makes for an ideal testing ground.
“In blue water operations, a torpedo just needs to be able to go deep and achieve a high speed to catch the target,” explained Thomas Ljungqvist, Sales Director for Weapons and Sensors at Saab’s Business Unit Underwater Systems. “But in shallow waters like the Baltic Sea, you need a variety of speeds. You need a torpedo that can go slow until it has a lock on the target and can then speed up for the full attack, so a more sophisticated system.”
More Powerful and Efficient
The new lightweight torpedo system, now under development for the Royal Swedish Navy and the Finnish Navy, is the successor to Torpedo 45, a lightweight torpedo system introduced by Saab in 1995. Like Torpedo 45, the new system will have the capability to be launched from platforms ranging from submarines and ships right through to aircraft.
However, Ljungqvist explained that it will also boast a range of new features that make it an even more effective tool for modern navies. “The new version will have a greater range of speeds, meaning it can go both faster and slower, depending on the situation it’s in,” he said. “It will also have a new propulsion system. While Torpedo 45 is propeller driven, the new torpedo will use a pump jet system, making it quieter, more powerful and more efficient in terms of battery use.”
Sophisticated System
Ljungqvist explained the modifications will make the torpedo more suitable to the rapidly changing global defence environment, where there are greater requirements on weapons to be precise and efficient. “Today, it’s very seldom that you have a full-scale war where two countries are fighting each other,” he said. “Instead, we are seeing more low-conflict scenarios where small-scale clashes are outside of war and where there’s civilian traffic around. You need to have true target indication on your weapon systems.”
He added that the new generation torpedo system will address this need for precision in a variety of ways. Like the current Torpedo 45, the new system will employ a wire-control system. This will allow operators to target enemy assets with precision and safely abort attacks when required, for example if a civilian or other friendly vessel is at any risk.
“You can direct the torpedo to stop or select another target,” said Ljungqvist. “If the wire breaks, the torpedo will either go for the designated target and kill it or in peace time, abort the mission and go into safe mode.”
Ljungqvist highlighted that the new torpedo has a more efficient power system and more sophisticated guidance systems that will help it to overcome increasingly advanced submarine countermeasure systems.
“Modern torpedoes need a homing system that can differentiate between counter measures and the true target and to have endurance to continue the attack until the countermeasures are gone or the homing system has identified the target.”
Gaining Traction
Saab has been selected as a major supplier for the Finnish Navy’s Squadron 2000 Mid-Life Upgrade programme in 2018. The Squadron 2000 upgrade will ensure and develop the mission capability of the Finnish Navy. System integration of the torpedoes on the Hamina-class vessels will be carried out together with Patria as the prime contractor in Squadron 2000 Mid-Life Upgrade.
In May 2016, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) placed an order for the development and production of the New Lightweight Torpedo system for the Royal Swedish Navy. With Finland and Sweden operating the same torpedo system, training and logistics will be efficient.
Besides orders from the Royal Swedish Navy, launch customer of the system, and the Finnish Navy, Ljungqvist added there are also high levels of interest being expressed by other nations.
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