53-65 Torpedo

[Fleur Francour]

The53-65 torpedo family are Russian made, wake-homing torpedoes designed to destroy surface ships. The 53-65 became operational in 1965, while the 53-65K and 53-65M both became operational in 1969. The 53-65KE is an exported version. China received an unknown number of 53-65KE torpedoes from Russia after purchasing four Kilo-class submarines in the 1990s.

The Type 53-65 torpedo is considered a significant threat by the United States Navy because they do not respond to usual torpedo countermeasures; typical torpedo countermeasures are decoys that use noise to distract homing torpedoes, analogous to an aircraft's flare or chaff systems, but the Type 53-65 uses sensors that follows the wake of a moving ship, snaking through the ship's trail until impacting it, from up to 19.0 km (10.3 nmi) away. The threat of wake homing torpedoes influenced the U.S. Navy to develop the Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD) system that employs a maneuvering Countermeasure Anti-Torpedo (CAT) that seeks and intercepts an incoming torpedo.[1]

The last entry in the class is the UGST (Fizik-1) heavy deepwater torpedo with a range of up to 50 km (27 nmi) (export versions are limited to 40 km). It differs from most previous Soviet and Russian torpedoes in that unlike the previously dominant electric or peroxide propulsion, it uses the Otto fuel axial engine, which allows it to have much extended range while keeping the speeds of up to 65 knots. It also features an updated homing system, which, in addition to the traditional passive wake homing, features a phased array active sonar and an improved wire guidance system: previous Soviet torpedoes had the guidance wire spool in the torpedo body, with the wire released through the hollow propeller shaft, which had the disadvantage of the wire being prone to breakage, while the UGST has the wire release port on the side. Together with the towed extender spool, kept in the calmer portion of the wake, this makes the wire much more durable than before, though not as durable as the tube mounted spool (not used by the Soviets/Russian Navy as it interferes with the automatic reload systems). It was supposed to enter service in the 1990s,[2] but the teething problems and the lack of funding during that period made the deployment sluggish, and it entered the widespread service only in the 2015 by the Fizik name,[3] being quickly replaced by the new-generation Futlyar (Fizik-2). Sources refer to them as heat-seeking torpedoes.[4]

The Type 53-65 is a Cold War era heavyweight torpedo of Soviet origin. It was developed as a highly capable anti-surface vessel torpedo to be launched from both submarines and surface vessels. This torpedo replaced the earlier Type 53-56 and various other types as the main Soviet anti-shipping torpedo.

The Type 53-65 torpedo has a conventional layout. The warhead and guidance section are located at the front. The fuel and turbine engine are located at the rear. The torpedo is propelled by two contra-rotating propellers and steered by four control surfaces at the rear. The original and updated model use a powerful and difficult to handle kerosene-hydrogen peroxide fuel. The Type 53-65K variant uses a slightly less performant, but much safer, kerosene-oxygen fuel.

The Type 53-65 is an acoustic wake homing torpedo. The acoustic sensor searches for a vessel's wake on the pre-programmed course and locates the target vessel using a zig-zag pattern towards the origin of the wake. The Type 53-65 is a fire and forget weapon, once the target parameters are set and the torpedo launched it operates fully independent. The downside is that it lacks any mid course updates and it cannot distinguish friend from foe. The upside is that this allows for the launch vessel to engage in aggressive maneuvers after launch, which cannot be done with wire guided torpedoes.

The Type 53-65 has a 307 kg high explosive warhead which should be adequate to sink or severely damage major surface vessels. The original Type 53-65 has an 18 km range at 45 knots. For the Type 53-65M this is increased to 22 km. These two versions also have a high speed setting of about 70 knots with a much reduced range. The most common version is the Type 53-65K which has a 19 km range at 45 knots.

The Type 53-65 can be launched from both submarines and surface vessels. The rudimentary target input requirements makes the Type 53-65 compatible with a wide range of launch platforms. In Soviet service both attack submarines and ballistic missile submarines were equipped with this torpedo. Many late model motor torpedo boats and major surface vessels (frigates, destroyers, cruisers) were equipped as well.

The Type 53-65 was adopted in very large numbers by the Soviet navy, which used both the high performance kerosene-hydrogen peroxide models and the kerosene-oxygen variant. The Type 53-65K was also exported to many Soviet allies and is one of the most common post-WW2 types of heavyweight torpedo. The Type 53-65 is also one of the very few types of torpedo introduced before 1970 to be in active service with many nations today.

The Type 53 is a denomination for all Russian 533mm torpedoes. The Soviets used 533mm torpedoes since World War 1 and this caliber remains in service with the Russian navy today. The post World War 2 torpedoes are covered here. During the Cold War the Soviet torpedoes were not as refined as the Western ones, but nonetheless very capable. Modern Russian torpedoes can match Western ones in most areas, but production is rather limited.

The Type 53 family is very diverse as the variants differ in design, dimensions, form of propulsion, type of guidance, size of the warhead, type of launch vehicle and intended target. Most Type 53 torpedoes have the guidance and homing section in the front, followed by the warhead. The fuel or batteries are in the middle and the engine is in the rear. A set of contrarotating twin propellers is present in most versions. Control fins are placed around the propellers.

Early versions are straight running torpedoes. Anti ship versions are mostly wake homing torpedoes. Against submarines a combination of passive and active acoustic homing is used. Until the torpedo is in range inertial navigation is used. Later versions use wire guidance and allow for mid course updates.

Most Type 53 that are used in the anti-ship role feature a warhead of 200 to 300 kg. Anti-submarine variants have a reduced size 100 to 200 kg warhead. The fuse may either be acoustic, contact or proximity triggered, or be a combination of those. Nuclear tipped Type 53 models feature a 20 kT warhead that is set to explode at a predefined location.

Type 53 torpedoes are used on all Soviet submarines and many surface ships. Most submarines carry a mixture of anti-submarine and anti-surface torpedoes. Surface ships use anti-submarine variants, except for torpedo boats in the early Cold War era that also used anti-ship variants.

Type 53 torpedoes are among the world's most common torpedoes, being widely used by Soviet forces and their allies around the world during the Cold War. Many older types of the Type 53 remain in use and the newest versions are actively marketed for export. Of most versions a less capable and cheaper export model exists.

The SAET-50 is an electrically powered acoustic homing torpedo that is launched from submarines. The SAET-50M that was introduced in 1955 has a more powerful battery and improved propulsion, resulting in a longer range, higher speed and reduced noise.

The Type 53-51 is a modified version of the World War 2 Type 53-39 torpedo. The fuse has been improved and a limited form of maneuverability is introduced. The ET-56 is an electrically driven version that uses many similar components, such as the warhead.

The Type 53-56 is a non homing torpedo that was introduced in 1956 and is fired from surface vessels and submarines. The Type 53-56V and VA that were introduced in 1964 and 1966 respectively are export models that use air instead of oxygen. The V is a non homing torpedo while the VA is an acoustic wake following torpedo.

The Type 53-57 is a non homing torpedo that is based on the 53-56, but is fitted with a turbine engine. The design of the turbine engine was inspired by Nazi German research. The 53-58 is a similar torpedo that carries a nuclear warhead, making it the first nuclear tipped torpedo in Soviet service. The Type 53-61 is an acoustic wake following homing torpedo with an engine derived from the Type 53-57 torpedo. Introduced in 1961, it is nicknamed Alligator and launched from surface ships and submarines. The 53-61M, introduced in 1969, uses an improved homing system.

The SET-53 is an active acoustic homing torpedo for use against submarines that was introduced in 1958. It is launched from surface ships and submarines. The SET-53M was introduced in 1964. It uses a passive seeker and a new battery design allowing greater range and speed. The SET-53ME is an export model of the SET-53M. The small warhead in all models limits its effectiveness.

The SAET-60 is a passive acoustic homing torpedo that is launched by submarines. It was introduced somewhere between 1961 and 1966. The improved SAET-60M was introduced in 1969. It adds a second speed setting with a longer range and has a lighter warhead. Alternatively the SAET-60M is known as SAET-M. A nuclear version of the SAET-60 also exists, although designation is unknown.

The SET-65 is an acoustic homing torpedo introduced in 1965 for use against submarines. It is launched from surface ships and submarines. The SET-65M uses the Sapfir guidance system and was previously named SET-65Sh. The SET-65 and SET-65M are also known under the names Yenot and Yenot-2 respectively. The SET-65E and SET-65KE are the export models.

The TEST-68 is the first Russian wire guided torpedo and is based on the SET-53M. Contrary to the designation it was not introduced in 1968, but in 1969. It is fired by submarines at other submarines. It was soon replaced by the more capable TEST-71.

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