A200 LCAW torpedo

A200 LCAW
A200 LCAW
Type	Miniature torpedo
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
Used by	Italy, Germany, Norway
Production history
Manufacturer	Leonardo
Produced	1992-present
Variants	A200, A200/A, A200/N, A202
Specifications
Mass	11.3 to 16 kg or greater
Length	883 mm to >2 m
Diameter	123.8 mm
Warhead	PBX shaped charge
Warhead weight	2.5 kg
Detonation; mechanism	Impact or proximity
Engine	Contra-rotating direct-drive brushless electric motor
Propellant	Silver-zinc battery
Operational; range	A200: 700 m (2,300 ft); A200/A: 2 km (1.1 nmi); A200/N: 8 km (4.3 nmi)
Maximum depth	≥300 m (980 ft)
Maximum speed	18 kn (33 km/h)
Guidance; system	Acoustic homing
Launch; platform	aerial and surface

A200 LCAW (Low Cost Antisubmarine Weapon) is a miniature torpedo developed by Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei S.p.A. (WASS).

Description

The LCAW is a miniature active-sonar homing torpedo originally developed to assist in the classification of targets. In order to deal with a potentially hostile submarine target, either a depth charge or a torpedo would be launched at it, either to kill it or cause it to flee, thus confirming it as a hostile submarine. With the obsolescence of conventional depth charges and the high cost of homing torpedoes, an intermediate solution was developed.^[1] The LCAW is intended to fill the gap between conventional depth charge and torpedoes, in the area where depth charges lack propulsion and guidance, while the cost of conventional torpedoes is increasingly becoming prohibitive. The program initially began in 1987, and was completed in 1992. In 1993, the weapon was adopted by Germany and Norway for their low cost antisubmarine weaponry program when the LCAW proved to meet the German and Norwegian requirement of a maximal underwater attack range of 500 m from the point of entry into the water. Norway subsequently developed its own upgraded variant.

In addition to regular deployment, LCAW is also used by Italian naval special forces. The air-dropped version is deployed from aerial sonar buoy dispensers. The weapon is primarily designed to engage targets in shallow water, especially midget submarines, diver propulsion vehicles, human torpedoes, sabotage or espionage-related equipment hauled by frogmen, and other hostile entities engaged in underwater special operations.

In 2014, an improved version of the LCAW was presented at the Euronaval 2014 trade show, titled "Black Scorpion".^[2] The Black Scorpion became available in 2021.^[3]

Variant

All of LCAW variants share the same operating depth, from 15 to 300 meters, and the same diameter, 123.8 mm. The same 2.5 kg PBX shaped charge warhead is adopted by air-launched variants while a tandem charge is shared by surface-launched variants. A total of five variants have been developed, including:

A200: The basic version weighing 11.3 kg, with a range of 700 meters at 17 kt. An improved version with 18 kt speed appeared later with either a range of 2 km or an endurance of 2 minutes.
A200/A: An air-launched variant with a length of 914.4 mm, weighing 12 kg, with an air brake. Maximum range of 2 km.
A200/N: Norwegian variant with a length of over 2 meters, with vastly improved power reserve which increased the range to a maximum of 8 km, with a stated 70% to 85% probability of hitting a hostile submarine traveling at 8 knots.
A202: a 16 kg variant for use by frogmen, launched from a man-portable launcher called Medusa, first adopted by the Italian naval special forces.