Short on Torpedoes

Atul Chandra

The Indian Navy is facing a shortfall of advanced torpedoes for its surface and sub-surface fleets. The threat of torpedoes in the modern naval battlespace poses complex challenges not only for submarines, but also for surface vessels. In what is emblematic of the continued travails in India’s defence procurement system, the navy’s newest Scorpene submarines are still without their complement of heavyweight torpedoes.

The Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes originally meant for the Scorpene fleet were to have been provided by WASS, a subsidiary of the Italian firm Leonardo. But this was scuttled because of allegations of illegality with another Leonardo subsidiary, the AgustaWestland. As things stand currently, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is yet to conclude a contract for heavyweight torpedoes for the Scorpene fleet. The Navy’s German HDW Shishumar Class diesel-electric submarines carry Atlas Elektronik AEG Surface and Underwater Target (SUT) 264 21 inch heavyweight wire-guided torpedoes. However, the AEG SUT 264 first entered service in the 1967 and is unsuited for the modern naval battlespace.

The situation is slightly better on the airborne front, with the Indian Naval Aviation operating the Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with Raytheon MK 54 lightweight torpedoes for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) missions. These ASW weapons will also be fitted on the navy’s Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo ASW helicopters. The MK54 lightweight torpedo has now been in production for two decades. The MK54 ASW weapon can be deployed from surface ships, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to track, classify and attack underwater targets. The state-of-the-art torpedo utilises sophisticated processing algorithms to analyse the information and remove false targets or cou