The Royal Air Force has recently completed a torpedo training exercise off the coast of Scotland, focusing on anti-submarine warfare.
The aircraft, a P-8A Poseidon crewed by 120 Squadron, dropped a recoverable inert torpedo, referred to as ‘REXTORP,’ into the Moray Firth.
“Crews regularly practice dropping torpedoes in the simulator, however, live training such as this gives aircrew and ground crew the opportunity to hone their skills and demonstrate the correct procedures in real life,” stated the press release. After the exercise, the torpedo was recovered by weapons specialists on board a maritime support vessel and returned to RAF Lossiemouth.
This training event precedes an upcoming episode of the Channel 4 documentary ‘Top Guns,’ set to air shortly. The documentary aims to give viewers an inside look into the operations at RAF Lossiemouth and the collaborative efforts required for missions involving the Poseidon aircraft. It will showcase the roles of station personnel, including armourers, engineers, and aircrew.
Wing Commander Livesey, Officer Commanding 120 Squadron, emphasised the importance of such exercises: “Dropping a torpedo from Poseidon is a complex task which requires support across a large team. As we continue to grow the Poseidon Force, we will routinely undertake events such as these, to improve the lethality of Poseidon, enabled by those across the Whole Force at RAF Lossiemouth and beyond.”
The P-8A Poseidon, based on the Boeing 737 next-generation aircraft, is equipped with advanced sensors.
I wonder if they shout YeeHaw in an American accent when letting it go.
I wonder what altitude it went from, do they have the wing kit or whatever on the torpedoes for higher altitude release?
I’m not a big fan of the P8, to much like a holiday jet.
Now the Japanese MPA. Wow theres a machine.
With you all the way ref last sentence 👏.
So I guess the light jets, the Embrarers, Saab A340 AWACs and their like are not effective intelligence gatherers then, just tarted up private jets.
Japan have just announced they are launching the replacement program. Definitely a missed opportunity.
Maybe.
The P8 was the ‘anti-risk’ solution after the MRA4 mess up.
So a MOTS solution was a political imperative.
There might be the appetite to do something with Japan if Tempest goes smoothly. In certain areas our indigenous capabilities are regenerating nicely.
“Now the Japanese MPA. Wow theres a machine.”
They could be use as an long range stand-off bomber as well! A couple of Squadrons of those, as well as P8’s, please, based down South!
U.K certainly needs more than 9 MPA’s!
Did some digging on the Mk 54.
From the Test and Trials Controller of US Navy weapons
“Preliminary data suggest the Mod 1 torpedo is trending towards meeting its suitability requirements, but insufficient data are available to assess operational suitability of Mod 1 Increment 1. The HAAWC with OFP 3.5 did not demonstrate an improvement in reliability from IOT&E and remains not operationally suitable”
In short the weapon is not meeting the performance spec it was procured against. There are mods in the pipeline which will possibly complete by 2028 that should allow the weapon to meet the requirements for engaging and destroying modern fast submarine targets in shallow and deep water.
It looks like each weapon costs 2.2 mil USD.
Mod Kits will be on top of that cost.
So the RAF has been forced to buy a US weapon that is vastly inferior to Sting Ray because the wont pay the cost of SR integration. The Mk 54 wont even get close to SR in performance or lethality for another 7 years at least. By then the UK MOD will have given SR another MOD upgrade package to improve it yet more.
The much vaunted HAAWC wing kit to allow high altitude stand off launch of the torpedo is not operational and even if it was the torpedo it carries is sub par.
So the RAF has bought a lemon.
Is there a report on the Sting Ray with the same level of transparency or are we just assuming everything works as advertised in the glossy brochure?
The Stingray worked as advertised when released from a Nimrod. But then its release height was significantly lower. Max height if I remember correctly was initially 100ft, that then was expanded to 250ft. Which is still massively lower than what the P8 is supposed to release a Mk54 at.
Stingray was initially retarded after release from the Nimrod by a small drogue chute to stabilise it, which then released a slightly larger chute to slow it down further and make sure it entered the water at the correct angle. From a Merlin or a Wildcat, I believe they only use the small drogue chute. As the helicopters are flying a lot slower.
Drouge Chute used for helo launch and tube launch as well. On SR the chute on all launch methods stays attached in the water until the torp powers up, self-checks its systems and orientates with the earth’s magnetic field. As the motor and pulse jet spin up the left-hand thread on the drogue unscrews and is left behind in the water.
The reason for this is shallow water performance. It’s easy to get a 300kg torpedo to hit the water and to plunge really deep, gravity and momentum are wonderful things when you need them. It’s not so easy to keep if from doing that in shallow water hence the unscrewing drogue.
Mk46/54 drogues came off when the parachute stowage case attached to the tail hits the water. that means the torp will plunge deep.
I was an air weapon maintainer that looked after Mk 44, Mk 46 and their replacement SR and conducted many a trial with the thing.
The Original version which I started looking after in 1988, was far better than Mk 46 in speed (pulse jet), dive depth, manoeuvrability, signal processing and warhead lethality.
Since then, there have been some massive mod packages that have improved things even more. It now has updated internal computer and signal processor, new power control system resulting in better range, improved manoeuvrability, a new IM Compliant Warhead, and new sonar. Its about to get a mid-life update as well.
I hate using the ” Trust me Bro” thing but in this case, it is not just streets but motorways ahead of anything the US has and everyone else in the world.
“I hate using the ” Trust me Bro” thing “
I’m with you on this and to be fair I’ve seen a number of very knowledgeable former US navy people talk about the UK torpedoes in glowing terms. But after seeing the Russian “super weapons” debacle in Ukraine, and yes I know there is no comparison in terms of the level of corruption, but I still wish UK weapons procurement had some public way to verify that these things are as good as advertized by the vendor and the mod.
A torpedo that can’t find its target it’s useless.
Integration with stingray shouldn’t be hard. It’s a torpedo same as the mk54. It’s been dropped by aircraft before.
The P8 is just to much compromise for my liking. Still better than nothing I hope.
Apache and JAGM instead of Brimestone?? The UK has been doing a lot of this of late.
Oh don’t remind me of that mess. This is where some kind of industrial offset from the government should come into play so it’s not all on the defence budget.
Example: The treasury works out if brimstone is bought instead 55% of the budget will be spent on the U.K. economy making X amount of money for the treasury. If JAGM is bought it Brings little to the treasury.
So the treasury pays the extra (if it even is extra) instead of the defence dept. The treasury then gets this money and more back.
RAF hasn’t bought any.
They are a common stockpile with US and on a pay when expended (or bent) basis?
Well that’s great if the thing actually worked or was half as capable.
For anyone who thinks otherwise or CONSPIRACY the U.K. gov don’t give a fcuk about the U.K. or it’s people or our armed forces it’s all about stakeholders and what foreign ultra national organisations want gotta keep it global …….
integrate the stingray on P8 and stop lining the pockets of undeserving defence contractors.
🏴🇬🇧