Upgraded Spearfish torpedo can be ‘directed’ after launch
OPERATORS firing a Spearfish torpedo from a Royal Navy submarine in the future will be able to direct it to its target.
While the Spearfish torpedo already performs well, it’s about to receive some major upgrades to make them even more effective, including a new warhead, a change to the fuel system to improve safety and ‘full digitisation’.
By far one of the most interesting upgrades is a new fibre optic guidance link that will allow operators in the submarine to direct the Spearfish to its target after launch. The old Spearfish used sonar to do this.
BAE Systems has
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