The Russian defense industry continues to implement new projects in the field of mine and torpedo weapons. Not so long ago it became known that new results were obtained in this area: based on the results of all the necessary tests, a promising torpedo, known under the code "Case", was adopted for armament. At the same time, some of the facts indicated in the latest reports on this matter may be cause for optimism.
The "Case" product is the newest of the well-known domestic developments in the field of torpedo weapons. According to reports, the goal of this project was to further improve the existing UGST "Fizik" torpedo, which was put into service several years ago. In particular, in this regard, the new project also bears the name "Physicist-2". Work on the new project started in the recent past and over time led to real results in the form of readiness for adoption.
In March this year, RIA Novosti, citing unnamed sources in the military-industrial complex, wrote about the current successes of the Case project. Then it was indicated that the new torpedo had time for testing by that time. In addition, some of the necessary checks have already been successfully completed. Also, an unnamed source revealed further plans for industry and the Ministry of Defense. So, in the foreseeable future, the "Physicist-2" / "Case" torpedo was planned to be adopted. The corresponding order was supposed to appear in 2018.
Torpedo UGST "Physicist"
A few months later, on July 12, Izvestia published new messages on the progress of the promising project. From the published data, it followed that by now the industry had managed to complete all the required work. The designer of the torpedo armament of the Research Institute of Marine Heating Engineering, which was developing the new project, Alexander Grigoriev told Izvestia that the UGST Fizik-2 torpedo had already been adopted by the Russian Navy. Also, the participant in the creation of the torpedo noted that in the future this product will have to replace all analogues of existing types in service, equipped with electric power plants.
Recent reports on the acceptance of the Case torpedo into service suggest that the tests were completed ahead of schedule - several months earlier than the indicated dates. As a result, no later than mid-2017, the product was put into service, although earlier these events were attributed to the next 2018. Thus, serial products can enter the naval arsenals with a certain advance of the existing schedules.
It is known that the new product "Case" is a modernized version of the older UGST "Fizik" torpedo. Let us recall that the development work with the code "Physicist" started in the mid-eighties; its goal was to create a promising deep-sea homing thermal torpedo. The head developer was appointed the Research Institute of Marine Heating Engineering, which was supposed to be assisted by several other organizations. Experimental products of the UGST went for testing in the mid-nineties, and at the beginning of the next decade, the torpedo was put into service. During this period, the first public demonstration of new weapons took place, the site for which was the International Maritime Defense Show in St. Petersburg.
Several years ago, the development institute began to create a modernized version of the existing Physics. The new torpedo based on the existing one received the working designation "Physicist-2". In addition, an alternative name "Case" soon appeared. Currently, both designations are used in parallel and do not cause any confusion.
Until a certain time, detailed information about the "Fizik-2" / "Case" torpedo was absent. Only a few months ago some technical data was published. In addition, some of the publications in the press devoted to the development of torpedo armament revealed certain details of the new project. For obvious reasons, the differences from the existing weapon of the base model, as well as the advantages obtained within the framework of the new project, were most often mentioned. All the data published so far allow us to draw up a fairly detailed picture, in which, however, there are still some "blank spots".
Like all modern domestic torpedoes, the UGST "Case" has a cylindrical body of large elongation with a cut hemispherical head fairing and a tapered tail section serving as the basis for the propeller and steering system. The total length of the product, according to available data, is 7, 2 m, caliber - 533 mm. The mass of the combat-ready torpedo is 2, 2 tons.
In its layout, the torpedo probably repeats the design of the base "Physics". Recall that the UGST of the first version had a head compartment with homing equipment, behind which the charging and reservoir compartments were sequentially located. The tail compartment was given for the installation of the engine and actuators of the control system. Apparently, in the new project, such a torpedo architecture was not changed or refined.
According to the published data, "Case" is equipped with an axial-piston internal combustion engine using single-component fuel. The type of engine and its main characteristics have not yet been announced. It is known that the base Physicist had a 350 kW (469 hp) engine, which used a rotating combustion chamber. The fuel was supplied by a high-pressure pump. Fuel transport tanks were located in the central part of the hull. It was proposed to start the engine using a starting powder charge.
The engine shaft passes through the tail compartment of the housing and is brought out to the outside, where it is connected to the jet propulsion unit. The impeller of the latter is placed inside the annular channel, which increases productivity, while reducing noise. The rudders are located next to the annular canal of the water cannon. A curious feature of the projects of the UGST "Fizik" family is the use of controlled surfaces, which are laid out after exiting the torpedo tube. For greater efficiency, the rudders have a box-shaped design with a pair of large planes and a small bridge between them, which are brought into the stream. This design increases the efficiency of the rudders and simplifies control to a certain extent.
It is known that the product "Physicist-2" has homing means, but the type of such a system was not specified. At the same time, there is certain information about the control systems of the previous UGST torpedo. According to available data, within the framework of the ROC "Physicist", enterprises of the domestic defense industry have created two variants of active-passive homing systems at once, which have certain differences. Together with homing, telecontrol from the corresponding remote control of the carrier submarine can be used. To transmit commands to the onboard systems of the torpedo, a cable placed on two coils is used. One of them is equipped with 25 km of wire and is located inside the torpedo, and towed from 5 km of cable in the transport position is placed near the water jet. The third coil can be installed on board the carrier. With the help of a cable and telecontrol, the torpedo can be displayed in a given area of the intended location of the target, after which the search and guidance is assigned to automatic systems.
The Physics homing system has a flat nasal receiving and transmitting antenna, which includes a large number of individual elements. The torpedo is capable of finding both the targets themselves and their wake. Automation detects surface ships at distances up to 1.2 km, submarines - up to 2.5 km. Time of indication of the wake trail - 350 s. The warhead is detonated using a proximity fuse. It works at distances up to several meters from the target.
Behind the head compartment in the case of the "Case" torpedo is a combat charging compartment. Torpedoes of the new family carry a similar charge in the form of 300 kg of explosives. The power of such a fighting compartment is sufficient to inflict the most serious damage on enemy surface ships and submarines. Probably, simultaneously with combat torpedoes carrying a powerful explosive charge, products of a practical type can be produced. In this case, the charging compartment must be filled with ballast of the required mass.
According to the domestic press, the UGST "Fizik-2" / "Case" torpedo can reach speeds of up to 50 knots (over 90 km / h) and move at depths of up to 400 m. The firing range is up to 50 km. In various publications, it has been repeatedly noted that a promising product in terms of range is superior to existing domestic and foreign torpedoes. This feature of the new weapon significantly increases the likelihood of successful timely destruction of a target with minimal risks to its carrier.
According to previously published data, the new "Case" torpedo is primarily intended for arming modern nuclear submarines of the latest projects. Thus, the multipurpose nuclear submarines of Project 885 Yasen and the strategic cruisers of Project 955 Borey may become the first carriers of this weapon. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that in the future such torpedoes will be included in the ammunition load of other domestic submarines built according to older projects.
The production of "Cases" should be deployed at the "Dagdizel" plant in the city of Kaspiysk. According to the available data, this enterprise is currently producing products of the UGST "Physicist", and in the near future it will master the mass assembly of its modernized version. According to some reports, the launch of mass production of the Fizik-2 torpedoes will lead to a halt in the production of products of the base model. Apparently, such a replacement will not lead to difficulties of a technological or operational nature, but at the same time will, to a certain extent, increase the potential of the submarine forces.
The development of a new version of the homing thermal torpedo to replace the existing Physicist products started just a few years ago. To date, the torpedo builders have completed the design and carried out the necessary tests. According to reports this spring, the inspections were going well and allowed for optimistic assessments. At the same time, however, anonymous sources of the domestic media called rather modest plans: the new torpedo was supposed to enter service only next year.
Just a few months after that, one of the authors of the new project said that the Fizik-2 torpedo had already been adopted by the Russian Navy. Whether serial production has begun has not yet been specified. Other aspects of the new project were also not disclosed. At the same time, reports were received, according to which the new torpedo will replace the base model product in production.
The development of domestic mine and torpedo weapons continues and yields certain results. In just a few years, an updated and improved version of the existing UGST "Fizik" product was created, which has a number of advantages. This torpedo was recently put into service, and in the near future it will have to enter the arsenals of the Navy and get into the ammunition of the newest nuclear submarines.
