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Yu-7 torpedo

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Yu-7 torpedo
TypeLightweight ASW torpedo
Place of originPeople's Republic of China
Service history
In serviceEarly 1990s
Used byPeople's Liberation Army Navy
Production history
DesignerChina Shipbuilding Industry Corporation
Designed1980s[1]
Specifications
Mass235 kg (518 lb)[1]
Length2.7 m (8.9 ft)[1]
Diameter324 mm (12.8 in)
Effective firing range14.1 km (7.6 nmi)[1]
Warheadhigh explosive
Warhead weight45 kg (99 lb) shaped charge[1]
PropellantOtto fuel II[1]
Maximum depth400 m (1,300 ft)[1]
Maximum speed >45 kn (83 km/h)[1]
Guidance
system
active / passive acoustic homing
Steering
system
CIACIO-S seeker[1]
Launch
platform
Surface ships
Helicopters

The Yu-7 (Chinese: 鱼-7; pinyin: yú-7; lit. 'fish 7'; from Chinese: 鱼雷; lit. 'fish bomb', meaning ‘torpedo’) is a lightweight torpedo developed by the People's Republic of China. It entered service in the 1990s as the principal anti-submarine weapon of major People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships. The Yu-7 is a derivative of the Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei (WASS) A244/S torpedo.[1]

Development

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Development of an effective lightweight anti-submarine (ASW) torpedo for the PLAN began in the 1980s. The program was probably based on 40 A244/S torpedoes purchased for evaluation from Italy in 1987. Additional technology may have been reverse engineered from a United States Mark 46 Mod 2 torpedo recovered from the South China Sea in 1978 by Chinese fishermen. The torpedo was initially equipped with electric propulsion, but inadequate performance led to a redesign powered by Otto fuel II. Testing was carried out at the 750 Testing Range in Kunming up to 1988.[1]

Description

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The Yu-7 has contrarotating propellers. Aboard surface warships, it is fired from Type 7424 tripled 324 mm torpedo launchers; these are copies or derivatives of the WASS B515/ILAS-3.[1]

Deployment

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The Yu-7 entered service in the 1990s.[1]

Yu-11

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The Yu-11 (Chinese: 鱼-11; pinyin: yú-11; lit. 'fish 11') is the successor to the Yu-7. It was first publicly identified in July 2015. The major improvement appears to be the pump-jet propulsor. The Yu-11 torpedo is quieter and may potentially operate at depths greater than 600 metres. The Yu-11 is longer, at three metres, and heavier than the Yu-7.[1]

The Yu-11 is likely to become the standard PLAN lightweight torpedo and may have started equipping modern PLAN warships since 2012.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Undersea dragon: Chinese ASW capabilities advance" (PDF). Jane's. 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
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