U.S. Navy Wants New Standoff Aerial Torpedo for Carrier Aircraft
The U.S. Navy is looking to develop a next-generation standoff torpedo that can be carried by carrier-based aircraft and drones, USNI News has learned. A request for information detailing the Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo (SAA-LT) was released by Naval Air Systems Command on Tuesday. According to the document, the sea service wants to field a small diameter bomb-sized anti-submarine weapon weighing up to 268 pounds to strike subsurface targets at range. “SAA-LT is a next-generation Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) standoff delivery system being developed by the U.S. Navy to address emerging threats in undersea warfare. It is designed to expand the
Sailors assigned to Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 30 use an aviation tractor to move a High Altitude Anti-submarine Warfare Capability (HAAWC) weapon system toward a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft on the VP-30 flight line, Feb. 7, 2024. US Navy photo The U.S. Navy is looking to develop a next-generation standoff torpedo that can be carried by carrier-based aircraft and drones, USNI News has learned.
A request for information detailing the Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo (SAA-LT) was released by Naval Air Systems Command on Tuesday. According to the document, the sea service wants to field a small diameter bomb-sized anti-submarine weapon weighing up to 268 pounds to strike subsurface targets at range.
“SAA-LT is a next-generation Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) standoff delivery system being developed by the U.S. Navy to address emerging threats in undersea warfare. It is designed to expand the range of manned and unmanned aircraft platforms capable of executing ASW Missions,” reads the request for information.
Specifications want the system to be about the same size as a GBU-39 and carried via the common BRU-61/A bomb rack, which currently supports small guided munitions. Dimensions should allow the Silent Anvil system to be fitted for external and internal launch bays aboard aircraft and drones. The Navy requires the air-launched torpedo to be compatible for storage and handling aboard aircraft carriers.
Firms are expected to deliver 180 Silent Anvils within three years of the award. Production of at least 60 systems a year should also be maintained, according to the document. The release noted two development paths for industry. One details the creation of the glide body and torpedo, while the other allows firms to design a wing kit fitted around a government-designed anti-submarine system.
The Navy’s interest in developing and rapidly fielding a standoff anti-submarine system capable of being launched via carrier-based aircraft comes as the People’s Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force works to expand its nuclear boat fleet.
During the Cold War, Carrier Air Wings previously operated fixed-wing anti-submarine aircraft armed with torpedoes and sonobuoys to counter Soviet attack boats. Since the retirement of the S-3 Viking, American naval forces have relied on the SH-60 Seahawk and P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft for aerial submarine hunting.
Earlier this year, the Office of Naval Intelligence testified on China’s growing subsurface capabilities. With the expansion of Chinese attack boat forces toward a predominantly nuclear-powered fleet with various hunter-killer and missile-guided classes, American naval forces may require more robust anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
While the sea service already fields the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability on the Poseidon, the Silent Anvil enables the Navy to field a submarine killing capacity from carrier-based fighters, drones and other platforms. Silent Anvil’s compact size also allows aircraft to carry a significant amount of the torpedoes.
