Super Russian Torpedo Revealed

Super Russian Torpedo Revealed By Brad Taylor Taylor Posted on: May 11, 2001

The May 2001 issue of Scientific American  reveals details of a deployed Russian super-speed torpedo called the Shkval , or the Sq uall in Enlish! "riinally revealed in 1##$, this roc%et-po&ered supercavitatin torpedo travels at a velocity of appro'i(ately appro'i(ately )*$-+00 %(h or aout 2)0-2$0 (ph that &ould ive a tareted vessel very little chance to perfor( evasive (aneuvers! The torpedo has een characteri.ed y so(e as a /revene/ &eapon, that &ould e fired alon the earin of an inco(in ene(y torpedo!

HOW IT WORKS

hen the suction on the lo&-pressure side of a propeller lade falls elo& the a(ient pressure, the propeller lade cavitates for(in a vacuu( cavity! ih-speed propellers are often desined to operate in a fully-cavitatin, fully-cavitatin, or supercavitatin, supercavitatin, (ode!  hih speed supercavitatin pro3ectile, &hile (ovin in the for&ard direction, rotates inside the cavity! This rotation leads to a series of i(pacts et&een the pro3ectile tail and the cavity &all! The i(pacts affect the tra3ectory as &ell as the staility of (otion

of the pro3ectile! The tric% is to desin to pro3ectile so that so(e deree of accuracy is achieved even &hile the pro3ectile is u(pin around the cavity! EVENTS HIGHLIGHTING THE TORPEDO

Ru(ors aound that the sin%in of the 4urs% in uust, 2000 and the arrest y the Russians of (erican usiness(an Ed&ard Pope in prill, 2000 &ere oth related to the Shkval  torpedo!  torpedo! The Russians clai(ed they confiscated fro( Pope /technical dra&ins of various equip(ent, recordins of his conversations conversations &ith Russian citi.ens relatin to their &or% in the Russian defense industry, industry, and receipts for (erican dollars received y the(!/ Pope, a retired 5S 6avy captain &ho spent (uch of his career &or%in in naval intellience, &as at the ti(e of his arrest the head of a private security fir(! 7ater, the Russian security authorities revealed that Pope had een tryin to otain plans of the Shkval ! Pope &as detained durin an infor(al contact &ith a Russian scientist &ho had participated in the Shkval's  creation! uthorities also arrested 8aniel o&ard 4iely, deputy head of the pplied Research 7aoratory 9R7 at Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State 5niversity around the ti(e of Pope;s arrest! The R7 has for (any years een developin torpedoes for 5S &arships and su(arines! -year-old professor &as released and allo&ed to return to the 5nited States!

6ote: The aove infor(ation &as athered fro( only pulic accessile sources!