Bill,
See the below
attached article, it is questionable that the Iranians have this technology
and have been noted to make wild technical claims previously when felt
threatened. The Russians have had this technology for some time.
It took the US 10 years
after they revealed it to the US for us to achieve a comparable
speed in a test tank. The Russian weapon is supposedly pretty volatile
and a test firing is believed to have lead to the lost of the Kursk a few years
ago. This weapon can not be hung on the outside of a sub as it takes a
lot of maintenance.
Respectfully,
Jay K.
Jeffries
Andros Is.,
Bahamas
Russia's
Former Black Sea Fleet Commander Says Iran's New Torpedo 'A
Bluff'
Agentstvo Voyennykh Novostey WWW-Text
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
MOSCOW. April
4 (Interfax-AVN) - Ex-commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Admiral Eduard
Baltin said on Tuesday that Iran's statement on developing the
high-speed torpedo, boasting unrivalled capabilities, was a bluff.
"First and foremost,
even if we assume that Iran did develop such a weapon, it
is worth reminding that the Shkval high-speed torpedo has been in service with
the Russian Navy for several decades. Thus, the Iranian torpedo does have
rivals," Baltin told Interfax-Military News Agency, commenting on the
statement of Iranian brass.
Secondly,
Iran does not have production
facilities for manufacturing such a sophisticated weapon, even if it did
acquire the technology, he said.
At the same time,
Baltin ruled out Russia's
transferring a ready torpedo to Iran, saying that own security was
more important than any financial benefits.
In addition to that,
he emphasized that the Shkval torpedo is no longer a super-weapon, given
several decades of its service. "Indeed, Shkval has a speed of 200 knots
(about 400 km/h) just like the Iranian torpedo. However, Shkval has no target
designation devices, i.e. it is not a self-homing torpedo, besides, it leaves
a trail, which makes it easy to spot and destroy," Baltin said.
He said that
Iran's claiming to have
developed a super-torpedo is aimed at delaying the U.S. decision
to deliver air strikes in order to develop its own nuclear weapons or provide
the minimal air defense to crucial facilities.
According to open
sources, the 533-mm VA-111 Shkval torpedo is designed to destroy submarines,
travelling at a speed of up to 50 knots at a depth of up to 400 meters. It may
be fitted with a nuclear warhead.
(Description of Source: Moscow
Agentstvo Voyennykh Novostey WWW-Text in English -- Internet news service
devoted to military news and owned by the independent Interfax news agency;
website located at www.militarynews.ru)