The AEG SUT 264 is a German 21 inch heavyweight wire-guided torpedo produced by Atlas Elektronik which entered service in 1967.
| SUT torpedo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Heavyweight dual-purpose ASW and ASuW torpedo |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1967-Present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Atlas Elektronik |
| Variants | Mod 1, Mod 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,419 kilograms (3,128 lb) |
| Diameter | 533 mm |
| Maximum firing range | 30 kilometres (16 nmi) |
| Warhead weight | 259 kilograms (571 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | Proximity or contact detonation |
| Engine | Electrical batteries |
| Maximum speed | 35 knots (65 km/h) |
Guidance system | Wire-guided with autonomous active terminal homing sonar |
Description
editSUT stands for Surface and Underwater Target.[1] It is a dual-purpose weapon that can be launched from surface ships, submarines, and shore positions.[2]
Production
editA production line was set up in Indonesia with the cooperation of the Indonesian Navy and Indonesian Aerospace to produce the SUT under license. Taiwan received 200 torpedoes from this production line in 1998.[3]
Service history
editChile
editIn 2004 the Chilean Scorpène-class submarine O'Higgins fired a SUT while running at depth during its acceptance tests off Lorient, France.[4]
India
editIn 2013 OEM Atlas Elektronik was contracted to upgrade the 64 SUTs remaining in Indian service.[5]
The SUT was the first torpedo fired by the Kalvari-class submarine because of a lack of procurement of planned heavyweight torpedoes.[2] A planned purchase of Black Shark torpedoes fell through because their manufacturer Finmeccanica was blacklisted by the Indian government for procurement corruption.[6]
Taiwan
editThe SUT was originally procured along with the two Hai Lung-class submarines.[7] The torpedoes were procured from the Indonesian production line. In addition to money Taiwan exchanged landing craft and 100,000 tons of rice for the torpedoes.[8]
On September 4, 2003 a war shot SUT fired by a submarine during the Hankuang No. 19 training exercise broke its control wires and went out of control. The torpedo was recovered four hours later from a Yilan County beach. Representatives of the manufacturer traveled to Taiwan to participate in the incident investigation.[9] On October 8 the Navy tested a second torpedo with satisfactory results. On October 14 the Navy held a full test in Pingtung County, the first torpedo experienced similar problems to the one on September 4 but the issue was resolved and a second torpedo successfully destroyed the target, a decommissioned Yang-class destroyer.[10]
In 2010 the Taiwanese Navy offered a reward to local fishermen for the recovery of a training SUT lost during an exercise.[11] The SUT will be replaced by the Mk 48 torpedo in Taiwanese service.[12]
Users
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Shay, Shaul. "Egypt's New Modern Submarine Fleet". israeldefense.co.il. Israel Defense. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b "TRADE REGISTERS". sipri.or. SIPRI. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Direction des Constructions Navales. "Torpedo Firing Tests at Depth: Scorpene Scores". defense-aerospace.com. Defense Aerospace. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ Panda, Ankit. "India To Upgrade Submarine Capabilities". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Navy may consider German SUT torpedoes for Kalvari submarines, instead of Finmeccanica's 'Black Sharks'". economictimes.indiatimes.com. The Economic Times. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ Sofia Wu, Zep Hu and. "Taiwan planning to replace aging torpedoes: Defense News". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ Hsu, Tso-Juei. "Taiwan's First Indigenous Submarine To Be Launched Ahead Of Schedule". www.navalnews.com. Naval News. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Hsu, Brian. "Manufacturers puzzled by navy's errant torpedo". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ Hsu, Brian. "Navy relieved as torpedo hits target". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Taiwan navy offers £630 reward to fishermen for missing torpedo". /www.telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Taiwan budgets $860 million for torpedoes". www.upi.com. UPI. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "SUT Torpedo - Archived 12/2007". forecastinternational.com. Forecast International. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ L. Valmas, Theodore. "Hellenic Navy torpedo, helicopter programmes move ahead". janes.com. Janes. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Could South Korea's Submarine 'Sink' North Korea in a War?". nationalinterest.org. The National Interest. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Martin, Guy. "ARMSCOR SEEKING TORPEDOES FOR TYPE 209 SUBMARINES". cadefence.com. CA Defense. Retrieved 28 May 2019.