A Better Anti-Sub Torpedo

The U.S. Navy recently ordered another 150 upgrade kits for its Mk 54 lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes (LWT). The new Mod 2 LWT upgrade consists of a more sensitive sonar (to seek out a submarine) and more powerful computer to interpret what the sonar hears.

This upgrade takes advantage of the many advances in electronic and computer components over the two decades since the current Mk 54 tech was first developed. Many components for the Mk 54 came from the older Mk 50 and production of that model halted in the mid-1990s.

Since then old Mk 50s have been cannibalized for parts but that supply is running out. Rather than just build more of these older components, new and improved components were designed and, as with this Mod 0 kit, used to upgrade existing Mk 54s and equip new ones.

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