Torpedo based on new physical principles. The Fizik deep-sea torpedoes entered service with the Russian Navy. In pursuit of the submarine

In the mass consciousness submarines are perceived primarily as carriers of missile weapons. Well, what about torpedoes? Are they in the past? And if they stayed, then why on Russian fleet serial deliveries of the new-generation "Physicist" torpedoes? Let's look at this based on the most general considerations dictated by elementary physics.

Mikhail Vannakh

The weapon that made the submarine a full-fledged warship was the torpedo. It was the torpedoes that allowed the tiny five-hundred-ton submarine U-9 with archaic kerosene engines (a kind of kerosene gas, only gasified fuel went not to the burners, but to the Otto gas engine) to send three British armored cruisers with a displacement of 36,000 tons to the bottom on September 22, 1914. Aboukir, Cressy, Hogue. The losses of the Royal Navy - 1,459 people - were almost equal to those at Trafalgar.

Dense medium price

Both the submarine and the torpedoes operate in an environment with a density a thousand times higher than air - in water. It was the water that made the tiny submarine invisible, which made it possible to come within shot range without fear of the fire of the numerous guns of the British armored giants.

Moreover, it was the water with its high density that provided the impressive lethality, which the 123-kilogram warheads of 45-centimeter torpedoes demonstrated on the very durable hulls of British cruisers. An explosion in water is much more destructive than an explosion in air. And the underwater hole, into which water is poured, is much more terrible than the above-water, air-swept destruction.

But for everything - including the secrecy provided by the density of the environment - you have to pay. First of all, by the cost of energy spent on overcoming the resistance of the water. This led to an extremely low, in comparison with shells of artillery guns, the speed of torpedoes. Those C45 / 06 with which the U-9 was armed had 26 knots at a firing range of 3000 m and 34.5 knots at a firing range of 1500 m.In addition, in a dense environment, any deflecting moment - hull asymmetry, propeller thrust, impact waves - will have an incomparably stronger effect than in the air.

So from the very beginning, torpedo weapons were, if not guided, then stabilized weapons. Aubrey's gyroscopic device with the help of steering gears and horizontal rudders did not allow the torpedo to go off course. Hydrostats measuring water pressure, controlling vertical rudders, kept the torpedo at a given depth, preventing it from diving deeper, passing under the bottom of the target, or jumping out to the surface. Similar capabilities - trajectory stabilization - were received by the Smerch missiles only in the 1970s, when it was necessary to increase the MLRS firing range with acceptable dispersion up to 70 km. Such is the difference in the properties of water and air.

A kilometer deep

For most of their history, submarines were armed with torpedoes and it was with their help that they fought. But then missiles came to the submarine fleet. They made it possible to combine the stealth of submarines with high speed and range, which was provided by a projectile moving in the air. Strategic - such as UGM-27 Polaris missiles launched from vertical silos. Tactical - designed to combat Soviet submarines: NATO submarines were equipped with UUM-44 SUBROC rocket torpedoes launched from torpedo tubes. A solid-propellant rocket engine lifted the SUBROC out of the water and, under the control of an inertial control system, led it in the air to a target at a distance of up to 55 km - the target was hit by a five-kiloton W55 nuclear warhead.

By the seventies of the last century, the torpedo faded into the background. She remained a "niche" weapon designed to combat submarines. And it was for this purpose that the previous domestic torpedo was created - USET-80, a universal homing electric torpedo, which was put into service in 1980. Why was this torpedo electric?

The fact is that in the seventies it was assumed that the working depth of promising US submarines would reach 1000 m. It was under the kilometer-long water column that the Soviet torpedo was supposed to hit them. But a kilometer of depth is a pressure of a hundred atmospheres. And any heat engine is designed to work in environment with low pressure.

So the creators of USET-80 had to resort to an electric motor powered by a silver-magnesium battery, which is activated by sea water. This ensured operation at a kilometer depth, allowed the torpedo to reach a speed of 45 knots, and at 43 knots to reach a range of 18 km. In a dense environment where optics and radars do not work, at the then level of development of hydroacoustic means, this was quite enough.

In pursuit of the submarine

But in reality, the development of the technology of the Western Navy did not go as it was seen in the 1970s. Multipurpose submarines of the Seawolf class, which have entered service since 1997, have a working depth of 480 m and a maximum depth of 600 m. The cheaper and more popular Virginia class boats, which have been in service since 2004, have a maximum depth of 488 m. For the German U-class submarines -212, the maximum depth is 350 m, and their export version U-214, which is in service with the Turkish Navy, is 400 m. So today there is no question of any work of torpedoes at a kilometer depth.

Currently, the Research Institute of Marine Engineering (St. Petersburg) has developed the UGST "Case", which is an improved version of the "Physicist" torpedo and has similar parameters. Produced by UGST at JSC "Plant" Dagdizel "(Kaspiysk, Dagestan).

But modern submarines go respected partners fast: Seawolf reaches speeds of up to 35 knots. And, as it is easy to understand, firing a torpedo with a power reserve limited to 18 km is a difficult task, even if we take into account the homing capabilities of the USET-80 torpedo, which is capable of chasing an enemy submarine along the wake or reaching the target using an active-passive sonar.

But no matter how sophisticated the control system is, fundamental speed and power reserve limits impose their own restrictions on the use of torpedoes against high-speed maneuvering targets. For example, if our submarine turned out to be strictly behind the stern of the Sivulf, which was in full swing, it would not make sense to shoot a USET-80 torpedo in pursuit from a distance of 3-4 km: the torpedo's range would not be enough to reduce the distance to zero. In an hour on the move at 43 knots, she will be able to approach the submarine only by 14.8 km. But the batteries will last less than a quarter of an hour ...

UGST "Fizik" was put into service in 2015 and is installed on submarines of projects 885 (Ash) and 955 (Borey). In the photo: the nuclear submarine "Alexander Nevsky" - the second ship built within the framework of Project 955.

If the torpedo had an infinite speed or an infinite power reserve, then, having established contact with the target, it would be guaranteed to hit it within the radius of action or at a speed even slightly inferior to the speed of the torpedo. But in reality this does not happen, and therefore the most important task was to increase the speed and range of the new domestic torpedo UGST. And since it became clear that torpedoes would not have to dive a kilometer, they turned to the chemical fuel, proven by centuries of practice, which is more energy-intensive with the same mass.

Fuel of the XXI century

The propulsion system of the Fizik torpedo uses single-component propellant, in much the same way as modern solid-propellant missiles. Only in a torpedo it is not solid, but liquid. Which one exactly? Well, we probably won't be much mistaken in assuming that it is in general outline similar to Otto Fuel II monopropellant used in torpedoes in NATO countries.

This fuel has nothing to do with the Otto gas engine - it is named after the inventor Otto Reitlinger and consists of propylene glycol dinitrate (aka 1,2-propanediol dinitrate) stabilized with 2-nitrodiphenylamine and desensitized (detonated) with dibutyl sebacate. It is a reddish-orange oily liquid with a pungent odor. Non-volatile, non-explosive, although poisonous enough. And it contains much more energy than any rechargeable battery.

UGST "Fizik" has both a wake homing mode and a telecontrol mode, when the target is monitored by the submarine's sonar system, and torpedo commands are transmitted via a fiber-optic cable.

Well, in order to extract this energy, one-component fuel is heated by a starting powder charge. The resulting gases go into the cylinders of the axial piston engine, where they are burned. An axial piston engine is an engine where the cylinders are arranged in a circle in parallel, axes to each other, and a swash plate is used instead of the crankshaft. It was once invented for aviation, but now it has taken root in torpedoes.

The axial motor is powered by a low noise jet motor. So the Fizik universal deep-sea homing torpedo has a speed of 50 knots with a range of 50 km, which significantly expands the tactics of its use in comparison with USET-80. As the naval officers assure, the launch of Physics from modern torpedo tubes is practically silent, which excludes unmasking the attacking boat. The torpedo can be directed to the target by both a homing system and a wired telecontrol system, when the target is monitored by the submarine's sonar system, and torpedo commands are transmitted via fiber optic cable.

UGST "Physicist"

Since the dimensions of the sensors of the hydroacoustic station are larger on the boat, and the processors that process their data are more powerful, such an application scheme gives better chances than with homing in a duel with an enemy submarine. This is also helped by the higher maneuverability of the Physics: after launch, its rudders go beyond the contour of the torpedo (in about the same way as the stabilizers of the 9M111 Fagot ATGM open), which ensures greater control efficiency in a wide range of speeds. And this is necessary because with telecontrol - when a torpedo drags a cable or a coil of wire behind it - it is necessary to reduce the speed of the torpedo, paying for stealth with an increase in travel time.

So torpedo weapons are becoming more adequate to the tasks posed by the 21st century. It can be fired from depths deeper than a rocket - up to 400 m.It has a lower level of unmasking factors, primarily noise: the torpedo delicately enters the liquid medium, and the rocket rushes in there with a blow of hot gases from the engine, almost an explosion. But the specific tactics of using this weapon is a military secret, much more serious than information about this weapon itself ...

MEDIA REPORTED ABOUT THE ADOPTION OF A NEW TORPEDA "FIZIK"

The Russian Navy has adopted a new "Physicist" homing torpedo with a firing range of up to 50 kilometers, TASS reported, citing a source in the Ministry of Defense.

Serial production of the torpedo has already begun. First of all, it will be equipped with submarines of projects 955 "Borey" and 885 "Ash" and their modifications, and as production increases, other submarines of the Navy will be rearmed, - said the military man.

Now the latest nuclear-powered strategic missile carriers Borey and Yasen multipurpose boats are armed with USET-80 torpedoes with a range of up to 18 kilometers.

The development of "Physicist" has been carried out by the Leningrad Research Institute "Morteplotekhnika" since 1986. The 533-mm long-range steam-gas torpedo is equipped with a combined sonar guidance system, and external control from a submarine is also possible. The warhead weighing 300 kilograms is designed to destroy enemy ships and submarines at a distance of up to 50 kilometers.

PS: This is just a graphical illustration of one of the possible practical applications of the algorithm of signed adjustments - more / less, over / under, darker / lighter, plus / minus, etc. In this case, it is a reaction to a change in the value of water density when crossing the boundary of a turbulent layer. The torpedo speed can be in the region of 45-50 knots, the submarine has a speed of 20-25. Can confidently catch up on the wake. And the circles are a torpedo in the target search mode and then a podzhopnik - Babaaah !!! And piz ... And mom, don't worry - I'm in the water area.
And one more thing: People are kind and unkind! Please contact the officers, COMRADE, not Mr. Officer !!! Mister officer is there ... in Pindos or Geyrope. And in Russia we are comrade officers. Everything."

TTX torpedoes:

Length: 7.2 meters (6.1 meters for the version for NATO standard torpedo tubes),
Weight: 2.2 tons,
Warhead weight: 300 kg,
Maximum speed: 50 knots (for a range of 25 km),
Maximum range of application: 50 km,
Depth of application: up to 400 m,
Maximum target depth: up to 500 m.

“At the end of last year, after the successful completion of state tests, a new deep-sea thermal homing torpedo Fizik was put into service,” a TASS source said.

"This torpedo will be primarily armed with all submarines of projects 955 (" Borey "), 885 (" Ash ") and their modifications, and as the production of these torpedoes increases, other submarines of the Navy will be rearmed on them," the source said.

According to him, the serial production of the Fizik torpedo has already begun, and the fleet is acquiring new weapons "with great pleasure."

“The maximum firing range of the new torpedo is 50 km, the speed is about 60 knots. The Physics engine runs on unitary fuel, ”said the agency's interlocutor.

The source explained that the "Physicist" will replace the old USET-80 torpedo with a range of 18 km, which was put into service in Soviet times - in the 1980s. "The USET-80 torpedo was previously received by the most modern nuclear submarines transferred to the fleet in recent times, in particular the first "Borey" - "Yuri Dolgoruky" - and the first "Ash" - "Severodvinsk". Now they will get rid of it, ”he added.

The agency has no official confirmation of this information yet.

The length of the "Physicist" torpedo is 7.2 m, its mass is 2200 kg with a warhead mass of 300 kg. Thermal gearless axial piston engine DP4 with a power of 460 kW on single-component fuel "penetrate" has a rotating combustion chamber and gives the torpedo a speed of 30 to 55 knots at a range of 40-50 km and a stroke depth of up to 500 m. using technical solutions of the American Mk.46 rocket.

To reduce its own noise, the torpedo is equipped with a water jet and retractable rudders. The export version of this torpedo is designated UGST. In the future, it is envisaged to use a promising modification of this torpedo with an open cycle turbine engine 19D with a capacity of 800 kW on two-component fuel (hydrazide and kerosene T1) under the designation "Physicist-2" or "Physicist-2000" (export name UGST-M). Due to the new ESA, it is expected to achieve a maximum speed of about 65 knots. In addition to these torpedoes, the standard USET-80KM torpedo of the previous generation will also be included in the standard ammunition of the project 885 (the modification was adopted in 1993).

Last year, the Russian Navy received deep-sea homing torpedoes UGST "Fizik". A little more than a year has passed, and the torpedo "Case", which is a modernized version of "Physics", entered the final stage of state tests. The tests are being carried out in Kyrgyzstan on Lake Issyk-Kul. In case of their successful completion, the new torpedo will be put into service this year, and its serial production will begin in 2017.

Both the basic version and the modernized one were created at the Scientific Research Institute of Marine Engineering, which is part of the JSC Concern Marine Underwater Weapons - Gidropribor. Serial production is supposed to be launched in the city of Kaspiysk at the Dagdizel plant. Torpedoes will be deployed primarily on the latest nuclear-powered submarines of the Borey and Yasen projects. After the launch of the Case series, the production of the Physicist torpedoes will be discontinued.

The new torpedo is intended to replace the outdated 533-mm UEST-80, which was put into service in 1980. The torpedo was unreasonably small for modern conditions range of 18 km. However, the speed was not so bad - 45 knots. It was provided by an electric propulsion system powered by a silver-magnesium battery. The torpedo was homing. The output to the target was carried out through an active-passive acoustic channel, as well as through the wake trail capture channel. This second channel uses the effect of scattering acoustic waves on air bubbles present in the wake of a ship or submarine using propellers as a propeller. At the same time, UEST-80 is capable of working on targets from "zero", that is, on surface ships, to submarines submerged at 1000 meters. Warhead weight - 300 kg.

I must say that the UGST "Physicist" at the Navy are tired of waiting. Its development began in 1986. It was first shown at the St. Petersburg International Salon in 2003. Five years later, the torpedo began to be produced in trial batches. It was only in April 2015 that it was put into service.

Such a long delay is due to reputational reasons. Physics uses not an electric, but a heat engine running on liquid mono-component fuel. According to the official version, the catastrophe on the Kursk submarine that died in the Barents Sea occurred precisely because of the explosion of a torpedo with a heat engine powered by hydrogen peroxide. That is why mistrust has spread to the entire class of heat engines used to equip torpedoes for submarines. However, the official version is being questioned by a number of competent experts.

But it looks like the years have started. The torpedo, which had long been ready for operation on combat ships, began to be registered in the fleet for a long time. The range of the "Physics" has increased to 50 kilometers, and the speed - up to 50 knots. "Case" has improved characteristics. No specific details have been reported on this matter. But it is known that the upgraded version will use the TPS-53 thermal propulsion system, capable of increasing the firing range to 60 km, and the speed to 65 knots. In her gas turbine engine liquid fuel of the Otto-fuel type is used, which makes it possible to develop a capacity of 800 kW.

That is, there is a serious breakthrough in terms of speed and firing range. At the same time, supporters of the use of electric torpedoes, citing overseas experience, insist on their benefits. These advantages are purely theoretical. There are no batteries in Russia with the required capacity. And in terms of other parameters, things are also not in the best way. The TE2 torpedo is in service with surface ships and submarines. It is good for everyone - it is perfectly aimed at the target and makes little noise. But its speed does not exceed 45 knots, and the maximum range, depending on the chosen mode, lies in the range from 15 km to 25 km.

Physicist also has one more advantage: it uses a water cannon as a propeller. TE2 is driven by two screws.

In addition to a two-channel acoustic homing system, the Physicist is equipped with a target guidance system via wires, through which commands to change course are sent from the submarine to the torpedo, depending on how the attacked ship or submarine maneuvers. The range of such telecontrol is in the range from 5 km to 25 km. All this will be transferred to the "Case". Improvements may be made to the speaker system.

If the "Physicist" in terms of performance characteristics is the best domestic torpedo in service, then the gap between the "Case" and domestic torpedoes will increase.

When reviewing Russian torpedoes for submarines, two more should be mentioned. First of all, this is the torpedo 65-76A "Kit". She came to the submarine fleet in the late 70s. It was she who was armed with the deceased submarine "Kursk". The designers were required to create a long-range, powerful and stealthy weapon that would allow Soviet submarines to hit large ships enemy, including aircraft carriers, without entering the anti-submarine defense zone.

And they succeeded to a great extent. The torpedo had two calibers - 533 mm and 650 mm. The latter was called the "thick torpedo". She could carry both a nuclear charge and the usual weight of 557 kg. She developed a speed of up to 50 knots, at which she was able to overcome 50 km. According to some reports, the maximum speed reached 70 knots. At a speed of 35 knots, the range reached 100 km. It was this parameter that horrified the NATO sailors, and the "fat torpedo" was called the killer of aircraft carriers. Because the reliable anti-submarine defense of an aircraft carrier cannot be deployed to such a depth. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the Kit was equipped with homing equipment, and away from the submarine that launched it, it was engaged in a selective search for a target.

The West breathed a sigh of relief when the "fat torpedo" was removed from the Russian Navy in 2002. In total, more than 60 domestic submarines were armed with it, the ammunition of each submarine was from 8 to 12 "thick torpedoes". However, "Case" will undoubtedly add a headache to our alleged enemy.

Another torpedo made a huge noise. But mostly informational. Many beautiful legends have formed around it. This is the Shkval torpedo, which develops a speed of 200 knots under water, which is equivalent to 370 km / h. Such a fantastic speed is achieved due to the fact that during its movement the cavitation effect is used. That is, the "flight" is carried out in an air bubble. Powerful thrust is created by a solid propellant jet engine.

However, a significant number of disadvantages nullified a powerful plus, and therefore the torpedo was removed from service. First, the maximum firing range was 13 km. That is, the boat had to approach the attacked target at a distance where a powerful anti-submarine defense was deployed. Secondly, the torpedo, while moving, created a loud noise and a distinct trace on the surface of the water. By releasing a torpedo, the boat was guaranteed to reveal itself with all the ensuing sad consequences for it. Thirdly, the torpedo, like a bullet fired from a rifle, flew in a straight line, not folding and not obeying any commands. And, despite its frantic speed, in 2 minutes of travel to the target, it was possible to either destroy it, or move the ship a sufficient distance for the hypertorpedo to fly by. Fourthly, the maximum depth of the Shkval's movement was 30 meters. Consequently, submarines were practically unattainable for her.

Torpedo Mark-48 US Navy (Photo: ru.wikipedia.org)

First of all, the "Case" must be compared with the American Mark 48 thermal torpedo. It was born in 1972. But to date, its seventh modification with significantly improved characteristics is being produced. It is the main torpedo of the US Navy's submarine fleet. It slightly surpasses Physics, but loses to Case. Well, Germany makes the longest-range torpedoes. Her DM2A4ER is capable of covering 140 km. And at a maximum speed of 50 knots - 100 km.

All modern torpedoes of NATO countries have a homing head and a telecable control mode.

TTX torpedoes TE2, "Physicist", "Case",Mark 48 (USA),DM2A4ER (Germany), Black Shark (Italy)

Length, m: 7.9 - 7.2 - n / a - 5.8 - 8.4 - 5.9

Weight, kg: 2400 - 1980 - n / a - 1363 - n / a - 1363

Warhead weight, kg: 300 - 300 - n / a - 300 - 260 - 250

Maximum range, km: 25 - 50 - 60 - 60 - 140 - 70

Telecontrol cable length, km: 25 - 25 - n / a - 30 - 100 - 60

Maximum speed, knots: 45 - 50 - 65 - 60 - 50 - 52

As reported by the Izvestia newspaper, the Russian Navy has adopted a new torpedo Fizik-2. Reportedly, this torpedo is designed to arm the latest missile-carrying submarines of Project 955 Borey and multipurpose nuclear submarines of the new generation of Project 885855M Yasen.

Until recently, the situation with torpedo weapons for the Russian Navy was rather bleak - despite the presence of modern third-generation nuclear submarines and the emergence of the newest fourth-generation submarines, their combat capabilities were significantly limited by the existing torpedo weapons, which were significantly inferior not only to new ones, but already in largely outdated samples of foreign torpedoes. And not only American and European, but even Chinese.

The main task of the Soviet submarine fleet was the fight against surface ships of a potential enemy, primarily against American convoys, which, in the event of the Cold War escalating into a "hot" war, had to deliver American troops, weapons and military equipment, various supplies and means of logistics. The most advanced in the Soviet submarine fleet were "thermal" torpedoes 53-65K and 65-76, designed to destroy ships - for their time they had high speed characteristics and cruising range, as well as unique system locating the wake trail, which made it possible to "catch" the wake of the enemy ship and follow it until it hits the target. At the same time, they provided complete freedom of maneuver for the carrier submarine after launch. The monstrous torpedo 65-76 with a caliber of 650 millimeters was especially effective. She had a huge cruising range - 100 kilometers at a speed of 35 knots and 50 kilometers at a speed of 50 knots, and the most powerful 765-kg warhead was enough to inflict heavy damage even on an aircraft carrier (only a few torpedoes were required to sink an aircraft carrier) and guaranteed to sink one torpedo ship of any other class.

However, the appearance in the 1970s, the so-called universal torpedoes appeared - they could equally effectively be used against both surface ships and submarines. There was also a new torpedo guidance system - telecontrol. At this way targeting the torpedo, control commands are transmitted to it using an unwinding wire, which makes it easy to "parry" target maneuvers and optimize the trajectory of the torpedo, which in turn makes it possible to expand the effective range of the torpedo. However, in the field of creating universal remote-controlled torpedoes in the Soviet Union, it was not possible to achieve any significant success, moreover, the Soviet universal torpedoes were already significantly inferior to their foreign counterparts... First, all Soviet universal torpedoes were electric, i.e. driven by electricity from onboard batteries. They are simpler to operate, have less noise when driving and do not leave an unmasking mark on the surface, but at the same time, in terms of range and speed, they are very much inferior to steam-gas or the so-called. "thermal" torpedoes. Secondly, highest level automation of Soviet submarines, including the automatic loading system for torpedo tubes, imposed design restrictions on the torpedo and did not allow the implementation of the so-called. the telecontrol hose system when the reel with the telecontrol cable is in the torpedo tube. Instead, they had to use a towed reel, which severely limits the torpedo's capabilities. If the hose telecontrol system allows the submarine to freely maneuver after launching the torpedo, then the towed maneuvers after launch is extremely limited - in this case, the telecontrol cable is guaranteed to break, moreover, there is a high probability of its breakage from the oncoming water flow. The towed coil also does not allow for salvo torpedo firing.

In the late 1980s, work began on the creation of new torpedoes, but due to the collapse Soviet Union they were continued only in the new millennium. As a result, Russian submarines were left with ineffective torpedoes. The main universal torpedo USET-80 had completely unsatisfactory characteristics, and the existing anti-submarine torpedoes SET-65, which had good characteristics at the time of their adoption in 1965, were already morally obsolete. At the beginning of the 21st century, the 65-76 torpedo was removed from service, which in 2000 became the cause of the Kursk submarine disaster that shook the whole country. Russian multipurpose submarines have lost their "far hand" and the most effective torpedo for fighting surface ships. Thus, by the beginning of this decade, the situation with submarine torpedo weapons was completely depressing - they had extremely weak capabilities in a duel situation with enemy submarines and limited capabilities to defeat surface targets. However, the latter problem was partially overcome by equipping submarines since 2011 with modernized 53-65K torpedoes, which may have received new system homing and were provided with more high performance range and speed. Nevertheless, the capabilities of Russian torpedoes were significantly inferior to modern modifications of the main American universal torpedo Mk-48. The Navy obviously needed new universal torpedoes that would meet modern requirements.

In 2003, at the International Naval Show, a new torpedo UGST (Universal Deep-Water Homing Torpedo) was presented. For the Russian Navy, this torpedo was named "Physicist". According to reports, since 2008, the Dagdizel plant has been producing limited batches of these torpedoes for testing on the latest submarines of projects 955 and 885. Since 2015, the serial production of these torpedoes and equipping them with the latest submarines, which had to be armed before obsolete torpedoes. For example, the Severodvinsk submarine, which joined the fleet in 2014, was initially armed with obsolete USET-80 torpedoes. As reported in open sources, as the number of new torpedoes produced increases, older submarines will also be armed with them.

In 2016, it was reported that a new "Case" torpedo was tested on Lake Issyk-Kul and that it was supposed to be put into service in 2017, after which the production of "Physicist" torpedoes would be phased out and instead of them the fleet would begin to receive other, more perfect torpedoes. However, on July 12, 2017, the Izvestia newspaper and a number of Russian news agencies reported that the Russian Navy had adopted a new Fizik-2 torpedo. On the this moment it is completely unclear whether a torpedo called the "Case" or the "Case" torpedo - a fundamentally new torpedo - has been adopted. The first version may be supported by the fact that, as reported last year, the "Case" torpedo is a further development of the "Physicist" torpedo. The same is said about the "Physicist-2" torpedo.

The "Physicist" torpedo has a cruising range of 50 km at a speed of 30 knots and 40 kilometers at a speed of 50 knots. Torpedo "Physicist-2" is reportedly increased to 60 knots (about 110 km / h) maximum speed due to the new turbine engine 19DT with a capacity of 800 kW. The "Physicist" torpedo has an active-passive homing system and a telecontrol system. The torpedo homing system when firing at surface targets provides the detection of the wake of an enemy ship at a distance of 2.5 kilometers and guidance to the target by locating the wake. Apparently, a new generation wake tracking system is installed on the torpedo, which is not sensitive to hydroacoustic countermeasures. For firing at submarines, the homing system has active sonars capable of "capturing" an enemy submarine at a distance of up to 1200 meters. Probably, the newest torpedo "Physicist-2" has an even more advanced homing system. It also seems likely that the torpedo received a hose reel instead of a towed one. Reportedly, the overall combat capabilities of this torpedo are comparable to those of the latest modifications of the American Mk-48 torpedo.

Thus, the situation with the "torpedo crisis" in the Russian Navy has been reversed and it is possible that in the coming years it will be possible to equip all Russian submarines with new universal highly effective torpedoes, which will significantly expand the potential of the Russian submarine fleet.

Pavel Rumyantsev