Malaysian navy A244/S practice torpedo seen on an ammunition cart. Note the two contra-rotating propellers and air drop retarder attached to the rear.
Source: www.malaysiandefence.com -
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The A244 is a Cold War era lightweight torpedo of Italian origin. The A244 was developed to replace the US Mk 44 lightweight torpedo in Italian service. It was also widely exported and is one of the more common types of lightweight torpedo.
The A244 is an anti-submarine warfare torpedo which is launched from surface vessels, helicopters or fixed wing aircraft. The A244 includes various design elements of the earlier A184 heavyweight torpedo. The A244 is an electrically powered torpedo powered by batteries. The engine and type of battery have been changes several times over the last three decades.
The A244 uses an acoustic homing sensor with both passive and active modes. In each version of the A244 the sensor has been updated or modified, increasing its capabilities over time.
The A244 uses a high explosive warhead with impact fuse. There are two or three speed settings depending on the variant. The maximum speed the A244 can achieve is about 39 knots. Early models had a 6 km range, the Mod 3 can reach up to 13.5 km.
The A244 can be launched from surface vessels and helicopters. Later iterations can be dropped by maritime patrol aircraft as well, using a parachute attachment. For surface vessels the ILAS-3 or B-515 trainable triple torpedo tube is often used. This can be fitted various kinds of surface vessels.
The A244 was developed for the Italian navy and was its first user. Various nations across the globe have adopted the A244. It remains in active service today, despite the introduction of newer lightweight torpedo designs.
Malaysian navy A244/S practice torpedo being prepared for loading in the B515 triple torpedo tube seen at the rear.
Source: www.malaysiandefence.com -
© Copyright lies with original owner
The A244 torpedo was initially developed to replace the American Mk 44 torpedo in Italian service.
The Chinese ET-52 lightweight torpedo is very similar to, perhaps a direct copy of, the A244/S torpedo. A batch of A244/S was acquired by China in 1987.
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