Following yesterday's article - the Soviets, now Russians have been developing
heavyweight torpedos since at least the 1930s.
Pete
Older Russian Type 53 (530mm) torpedos were limited by
their fuel type to a range of less than 20km. The Fizik-1s (aka UGSTs) and Fizik-2s
(aka Futlyar) torpedos use Otto
Fuel II perhaps giving them a range of up to 60km.
If the Russians have followed the US Mark 48 evolution
the Russian Fiziks are likely to be effective at progressively shallower and
deeper depths.
The Russian Navy Fizik-2 believed to be capable of a
top speed of 60 knots. Compared with the Fizik-1 the Fizik-2 features improved
homing systems (perhaps including heat seeking) remote control system and maybe
longer range.
Unlike the Fizit-1 the Fizik-2 is probably Russian use only, ie. not available for export. This follows a typical domestic use vs export capabilities demarcation of not selling the latest military secrets. It will be interesting to see if China offers Russia enough money to buy some Fizit-2s - for subsequent Chinese reverse engineering-then production.
Unlike the Fizit-1 the Fizik-2 is probably Russian use only, ie. not available for export. This follows a typical domestic use vs export capabilities demarcation of not selling the latest military secrets. It will be interesting to see if China offers Russia enough money to buy some Fizit-2s - for subsequent Chinese reverse engineering-then production.
The Fizik-2 can be released by
both surface fighting ships and submarines engaging both platforms from safe
ranges. The Fizik-2 torpedo test program was completed by the Russian Navy by
the end of 2017 with the new weapon being deployed from 2018.
A Fizik-2
might need an effective depth as deep as 1,000m to hit the US deepest diving Seawolf class SSNs/Special
missions.
FIZIK-1 (aka UGST)
AND FIZIK-2 (aka FUTLYAR) TABLE
RUSSIAN 530mm TORPEDOS
|
Fizik-1
UGST (primary source)
|
Fizik-2 Futlyar (secondary source)
|
In Service/Deployed
|
2014-2015
last of Type 53s
|
2017-2018
|
Designed/developed by
|
Tactical Missiles Corp
&
"Morteplotehnika" |
|
Deployed in
|
All Russian & some foreign subs
|
First on Boreys
and Yasens
|
Fuel
|
Otto fuel II and see
|
Otto fuel II
(likely)
|
Propulsion
|
propeller?
|
|
Diameter
|
530mm
|
533mm
|
Length
|
7.2m
|
|
Weight, max
|
2,200kg
|
?kg
|
Weight of explosive charge, min
|
300kg
|
|
Maximum range, up to
|
||
Speed
|
||
- I mode
|
50 knots
|
|
- II mode
|
40 knots
|
? knots
|
Running depth
|
up to 500m
|
|
Firing depth, up to
|
400m
|
|
Homing system effective operating radius:
|
eg. wake
|
eg. wake and heat seeking
|
- against submarine, up to
|
2.5km
|
|
- against surface ship, up to
|
1.2km
|
|
Surface ship wake indication time, up to
|
350 seconds
|
? seconds
|
Fuze type
|
contact/proximity
|
contact/proximity
|
Length of command wire
|
||
- torpedo wire dispenser, up to
|
25km
|
?km
|
- towed wire dispenser, up to
|
5km
|
?km
|
What may be Fizit-1/Fizit-2 torpedos. Note the shrouded/pump-jet in the blurry photo below. (Photos courtesy Russian Domestic Weapons and Military Equipment website, April 3, 2019)
Pete
@Pete
ReplyDeleteI believe Fizik-2 is both ASW and anti-ship; I think it uses active-passive homing for ASW targets in addition to having wake homing as an option. The Yu-6 works this way as well, so far as is known: active-passive wire guidance but with the addition of wake homing. The Vietnamese captured one recently; I think you did an article on it.
Cheers,
Josh
Hi Josh
ReplyDeleteThanks for those details, here and in the previous SubMatt's article.
Yes China's Yu-6 may owe much to reverse engineering of the Type 53s including the later model Fizik-1. I assume China can also learn from the Fizik-2 upgrades sooner or later.
Meanwhile China's electrically propelled Yu-9 may owe much to Russia's electric TE-2.
But I really don't know how derivative or indigenously developed China's Yu-6 and Yu-9 are.
I recall the tale of the Vietnamese fisherman and the Yu-6 https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/25596/a-vietnamese-fisherman-reeled-in-a-chinese-torpedo-in-the-south-china-sea in December 2018 but don't recall putting it in an article.
I would say the Vietnamese navy would have allowed the Russians to inspect the Yu-6 to gauge how much technology was transferred from the Fiziks.
Regards
Pete