Israel tests land-attack torpedo
According to Jpost on June 19, the Israeli Navy has successfully tested a new generation of torpedoes that can attack targets on land.
Information about the test was quoted by Jpost as saying that the test was carried out on the evening of June 18, with only one shot, the simulated target, an old ship, was sunk.
This test is considered the final in a series of tests conducted over the past months before a decision is made on mass production.
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| Image believed to be of new Israeli torpedo. |
The new torpedo will be integrated into all of the Israeli Navy's submarine fleets, the IDF representative said. The new systems have modern capabilities and characteristics including high accuracy and wide range of attack.
The operation of these systems represents a major advance in the operational capabilities and ability of the Israeli Navy to defend the homeland.
The new weapon will protect freedom of action and submarine secrecy, which is one of the indispensable strategic tools for national security," the representative said.
According to the little information released, the new torpedo system is capable of more precise attacks and can launch farther than previous models.
The special feature of this type of torpedo is that it can destroy targets at a distance of tens of kilometers both underwater and, when necessary, also destroy targets on land.
With its dual mission, the new torpedo will become the main weapon for Israel's submarine fleet in the coming time.
Along with perfecting the new torpedo, to strengthen its submarine fleet, Israel has decided to upgrade all of its Dolphin-class submarines.
According to Jane's, the Israeli Navy has upgraded the weapons and communications systems of the Dolphin-class diesel-electric attack submarines it purchased from Germany.
In addition, Israeli submarines are also equipped with additional defenses against enemy torpedo attacks. However, specific information about this capability has not been disclosed by the Israeli Navy.
According to sources obtained by Jane's, with state-of-the-art equipment, in 2014, Israeli submarines made dozens of incursions into the offshore waters of several countries to conduct intelligence gathering operations, some of which lasted several weeks.
Regarding the main weapon system, all variants of the Dolphin-class submarines are equipped with 533mm and 650mm torpedo tubes (capable of firing torpedoes, mines, and missiles) with the ability to operate continuously for 30 days.
