AIR-TO-SUBSURFACE WEAPONS


Fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are ideal platforms to conduct both offensive and defensive undersea warfare. Having the advantages of quick reaction times, high search rates, and expeditious covert ingress and egress enables Naval Aviation to conduct both undersea warfare tasks, ASW, and mine warfare. The air-to-subsurface arsenal used to execute the USW mission includes torpedoes, mines, and depth bombs. Upgrades to existing munitions, coupled with improved sensors, delivery enhancements, and refined tactics, will keep pace with potential threat developments into the next century.

Undersea warfare weapons are being optimized for littoral operations. The Mk-50 and advanced lightweight hybrid torpedo (ALHT) have been designed to improve acquisition and lethality against shallow water targets. Additionally, a hydrostatic sensor is being developed to enable Mk-80 series general-purpose bombs to be utilized as a USW depth bomb against surfaced and near-surface, visually acquired targets. This range of weapons will help the Navy achieve undersea battlespace dominance from blue water to littoral waters.
 

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