soulxtc
June 26th, 2006, 09:05 AM
Lockheed Martin is to demonstrate high-altitude, stand-off delivery of a torpedo from a P-3C Orion under a 12-month, $3 million US Navy contract. The navy’s Mk54 lightweight torpedo will be fitted with the company’s LongShot wingkit for the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapons Concept (HAAWC) project.
http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=13199
Currently P-3s have to descend to 500ft (150m) to release the Mk54. The LongShot range extension kit, which includes pop-out wings, GPS navigation and autopilot, will allow the torpedo to be launched at altitudes of around 20,000ft (6,000m), avoiding the need to descend, reducing fatigue on the airframe and increasing survivability.
After release from the aircraft, the LongShot-equipped but otherwise unmodified torpedo will glide to its normal launch altitude, jettison the wingkit, deploy its parachute, enter the water and begin searching for its target. Two demonstration drops are planned for November, says HWAAC programme director Alan Jackson.
The demonstration requirement is for a stand-off range of at least 9km (5nm), but simulations suggest the weapon can achieve a 33-37km range, says Jackson. The wingkit will include a UHF weapon datalink, connected to a laptop in the aircraft, that will allow the crew to retarget the torpedo in flight by sending a new release point and heading.
READ ARTICLE (http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/06/20/Navigation/190/207322/USAF+flies+high+to+deliver+torpedo.html)
http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=13199
Currently P-3s have to descend to 500ft (150m) to release the Mk54. The LongShot range extension kit, which includes pop-out wings, GPS navigation and autopilot, will allow the torpedo to be launched at altitudes of around 20,000ft (6,000m), avoiding the need to descend, reducing fatigue on the airframe and increasing survivability.
After release from the aircraft, the LongShot-equipped but otherwise unmodified torpedo will glide to its normal launch altitude, jettison the wingkit, deploy its parachute, enter the water and begin searching for its target. Two demonstration drops are planned for November, says HWAAC programme director Alan Jackson.
The demonstration requirement is for a stand-off range of at least 9km (5nm), but simulations suggest the weapon can achieve a 33-37km range, says Jackson. The wingkit will include a UHF weapon datalink, connected to a laptop in the aircraft, that will allow the crew to retarget the torpedo in flight by sending a new release point and heading.
READ ARTICLE (http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/06/20/Navigation/190/207322/USAF+flies+high+to+deliver+torpedo.html)